What to Know
- A second man was arrested on hate crime charges after assaulting and harrassing a same-sex couple, a confrontation that took place in May in which one of the victims was almost thrown off a dock, Suffolk County Police announced Wednesday.
- According to police, the charges stem from an incident that took place the night of May 14. On that night two women were watching the sunset at Mascot Dock on South Ocean Avenue when, just shortly before 8 p.m. two men in a vehicle made anti-lesbian remarks. One of these men allegedly went on to punch one of the women and the other tried to push the other into the water, instead throwing one of their cell phones.
- Thomas Gair Jr., 66, of Patchogue, was charged with assault in the third degree as a hate crime and two counts of aggravated harassment in the second degree. Joseph Kess, 40, of Patchogue, was charged in June in connection to the same incident.
A second man was arrested on hate crime charges after assaulting and harrassing a same-sex couple, a confrontation that took place in May in which one of the victims was almost thrown off a dock, Suffolk County Police announced Wednesday.
Thomas Gair Jr., 66, of Patchogue, was charged with assault in the third degree as a hate crime and two counts of aggravated harassment in the second degree.
Attorney information for Gair was not immediately known.
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According to police, the charges stem from an incident that took place the night of May 14. On that night two women were watching the sunset at Mascot Dock on South Ocean Avenue when, just shortly before 8 p.m. two men in a vehicle made anti-lesbian remarks. One of these men allegedly went on to punch one of the women and the other tried to push the other into the water, instead throwing one of their cell phones.
Following the confrontation, both women, 29, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.
A subsequent investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department Hate Crimes Unit detectives, initially ended with Joseph Kess, 40, of Patchogue, being charged with assault in the third degree as a hate crime, criminal mischief in the third degree as a hate crime, and aggravated harassment in the second degree in June.
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Attorney information for Kess was not immediately known.
“It is unacceptable that two people cannot enjoy a night out without being intimidated, ridiculed and physically assaulted because of the victims' sexual orientation,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said. “There is no room for hate in this county and we will continue to arrest those who target individuals based on personal biases.”
“It is despicable that two young women couldn’t peacefully enjoy a beautiful spring sunset by the bay without allegedly being verbally and physically attacked simply because of their sexual orientation,” said Suffolk District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “There is no place for bigotry in Suffolk County and my office will do everything in its power to ensure that perpetrators of hate crimes such as the one alleged here are held accountable.”
The investigation is ongoing.
