Friday June 15, 2007 Vol 35 Issue 24 |
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Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
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Gang of men brutally attack gay man after leaving Gay bar |
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| Gang of men brutally attack gay man after leaving Gay bar | ||
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Assailant stated, "I'm sick of these fucking faggots!" by Lisa Wardle - SGN Staff Writer A 25-year-old Gay man was viciously attacked during the early morning hours of Sunday, June 10, while walking home from a Capitol Hill Gay bar. His partner watched in horror as a group of as many as six men brutally punched and kicked him. The victim, Jason Mancillas, suffered lacerations and bruises to his face and body, a black eye and a wound to his head. "They just jumped me. I didn't throw a punch or anything," he said. "They cracked my head, gave me a black eye and were kicking me in the ribs while I was laying on the ground." Mancillas says he was walking along the sidewalk with his boyfriend in arm. They had just left Neighbours Nightclub and were heading west on East Pike Street at about 2:00 a.m. when he overheard a stranger behind him state: "I'm sick of these fucking faggots!" He turned around and walked towards the man who made the comment. According to Mancillas, he had no plans to start a fight, so he was surprised when he received a punch in the face and, after being thrown onto the ground by his attacker, being savagely kicked by five or six other men. "When I hit my head, I blacked out," he said. "I don't remember what they looked like. I don't even remember what happened to me." Fortunately, Mancillas's boyfriend was able to note the physical descriptions and provide an eyewitness account to the police. The group was identified in a Seattle Police report as being Asian males in their 20's, wearing jeans and T-shirts. The gang of attackers had fled to a car parked nearby and a license plate number has been provided to the police. The police report notes that a vehicle matching the license plate is known to be a silver 2000 Honda Accord. Officers conducted a check of the area after the attack for the vehicle but it could not be located. "I'm still waiting to hear back [from the police]. From what they've told me, they've taken this very seriously and want to investigate it further," said Mancillas. Jeff Kappel of the Seattle Police Department spoke with the Seattle Gay News on Wednesday about the attack. He said the assailants remained at large and no new information as to the suspects' identity was available. "It has been assigned to a bias crime detective and that's currently where it's at," he said. The event took place on the 700 block of East Pike Street. This is the first Capitol Hill attack since the 2004 Gay bashing of Micah Painter. His three aggressors were sentenced to prison and are currently serving time behind bars. Capitol Hill, long viewed as a safe neighborhood for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people, has rarely seen the same level of violent attack. However, some complain that a changing demographic among bar and music venue patrons is having an impact. "I think that what were seeing is part of the painful integration process. More straight bars and thuggish venues are coming up this way," said Mancillas. "Hopefully, it will get better. I still would feel safer here than I would in Pioneer Square at two in the morning." Mancillas's said 9-1-1 was called because he needed immediate medical attention. It is estimated, however, that only 20 percent of the hate-crimes that occur are actually reported. "I was bleeding and needed an ambulance. I would have called regardless, that stuff needs to stop, but I had to call for help," he said. Without knowing the identity of the attackers, it is difficult to know the proper treatment of his case and what should result from it, according to Mancillas. While some people might hope for the assailants to be sentenced to jail, he remained uncertain. "I want them to not do this to anyone again and for the right reasons," said Mancillas. "I wish that they would realize the error of their ways and...I don't think you learn that kind of thing in prison." He said is very thankful to his friends, family, and the LGBT community for all of the support they have given him in the wake of the attack. Mancillas knows that there are two types of pain, the physical and the emotional. He says, for now, he's treating the former with prescription pain medication and will deal with the latter when he's able. |
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