The FBI has arrested a 16-year-old boy connected to the severe beating of an El Paso man outside of a gay bar. The victim’s sister says the attackers shouted anti-gay slurs during the attack and the FBI is investigating the case as a hate crime, but even so El Paso spokesman Darrel Petry said “the assault did not meet the criteria as a hate crime because it was not motivated by a bias against gays.” Is it any wonder that local gays don’t trust the local police? Let’s take a closer look at the El Paso Police Department’s general worthlessness:
According to El Paso native, “everyday gender bender. artist, photographer, and all around glamazon” Adam Ulloa the local police department sits literally right around the corner from the bar where the beating took place. In response to the police’s alleged failure to react quickly and the lack of national media coverage, Ulloa wrote an an open letter to the local PD expressing his exasperation:
From what I have gathered from others within the community, the alleged gathering of individuals who purportedly invoked this specific act of violence against said young man had been asked repeatedly to vacate the premises, and now currently have opted to frequent the street in front of a nearby church, drinking, blasting music from their vehicles, and generally plague passers by. How this group is allowed to do so without any kind of intervention by any neighboring authorities is unclear to me. They apparently sit on the steps and verbally harass whomever they feel necessary…
As I mentioned, I have been a patron of these establishments for over ten years, and would like to mention something you, The El Paso Times, did not. The Old Plantation is located on the corner of Ochoa and Paisano, two blocks away from the El Paso County Jail, several El Paso Police Department offices, a central command center and a fire station. With all of the law enforcement within walking distance of the incident, why is it no one was able to stop it from happening? Why did it take authorities and emergency personnel such an extended amount of time to respond? Why is this not being treated at the blatant HATE CRIME that it is? Are we to believe that simply because our establishments are aimed at serving the gay community they require less security, less involvement?…
The events that took place Friday, May 6, 2011 are supposedly quite vaguely represented in the media, as both the El Paso Police Department and the local media coverage have remained almost silent – regardless, it is generally felt, that as a police station and the El Paso County Jail are within walking distance, the absence of police is inexcusable.
Ex-police officer and head of Night Eyes Protective Services Fernando Rodriguez Sr. says, “People are really afraid. These are gang members who are only out to cause problems. The Police Department, they do what they can, but they can’t go out and harass people just for standing outside a club.” As a result Rodriguez says that “Most of the gang members hanging by the [Old Plantation gay bar] are juveniles who, when arrested by police, may only be cited and released to a parent or guardian and return the next night.”
Jonathan Kennedy, chairman of the gay-rights group Rio Grande Adelante, echoes Rodriguez’s sentiments saying that hate crimes against gays that may be going unreported because of a lack of trust in police. “It’s an issue. It’s not something that just started yesterday. We hope and pray to God that young man lives.” The 22-year-old victim has still not regained consciousness since the Sunday attack.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Cam
Hopefully under the hate crimes statute they must be tried as adults.
Libertarian Larry
Isn’t this blatantly racist against hispanics? If the gay guy fought back, wouldn’t he be charged with a hate crime, too?
Manny
@Libertarian Larry: I agree they are just trying to make hispanics look bad.We have no idea why this happen,it could have been lovers fighting.
Cam
@Libertarian Larry: said…
“Isn’t this blatantly racist against hispanics? If the gay guy fought back, wouldn’t he be charged with a hate crime, too?”
_________________________
I get that people are wedded to their opinions, and that Libertarians do not like hate crime legislation. But why do you come in here and purposely lie about the law?
The law states that if the basis, motivation etc… behind the attack was due to the victim being in a protected class, it is a hate crime.
So to try to make it seem like defending yourself against a brutal attack would fall under that is ridiculous. And whats worse, I think you knew that and were just hoping nobody busted you out on your obvious twisting of the truth.
Cam
@Manny:
What a shock, Larry’s OTHER screename shows up to back him up.
Mike in Asheville
@Libertarian Larry: Are you really that daft? Nowhere in the article does is mention the ethnicity of the preps, and, self-defense is self-defense.
the crustybastard
@Libertarian Larry:
And libertarians wonder why nobody takes their party seriously.
Mike in Asheville
VERY UNDECIDED ABOUT THE NEW QUEERTY!
Well Queerty, are you the new?
I clicked the link to the El Paso Times story: 1) El Paso police made the arrest, not the FBI; 2) The victims family reported that the FBI told them the police made 2 arrests, though the Times had not yet confirmed that information; 3) The FBI remains investigating the event to DETERMINE whether a hate crime was committed but has not made a dertermination; 4) the El Paso police believe the crime was a gang related crime — there has not been any police vs. FBI determination; 5) the portions Queerty quotes from the El Paso Times from the private protective service, support a significant determination made by the police that the perps are part of an on-going gang menace in the neighborhood; 6) the portions of the article that Queerty did not include, the OP’s private security repeatedly speaks about how bad the gang problem is and how the gang members take after everyone who passes-by.
**************
Certainly a crime has occurred and a young man has been criminally attacked. Whether he was attacked for being perceived as gay or a gang victim, his wounds still have not healed and he remains in a coma.
Also, certainly, the El Paso police seem dim witted and impotent to provide community protection IN THEIR OWN neighborhood. And, certainly, there appears to be a major “who gives a fuck, its only fairies” attitude.
Good luck gay El Paso.
AxelDC
@Libertarian Larry: Self-defense isn’t a crime, and to be a hate crime, there has to be blatant evidence that the crime was motivated by hatred towards a particular group.
Mugging a black man for his wallet is a crime, but not a hate crime. Beating a black man and calling him “n” words is a hate crime. Hitting back because a black man hit you first is self-defense and not a crime at all.
I’m sorry these concepts are so difficult for you.
Mac McNeill
The problem is there are too many hate crimes against gays all across this country. And the sad thing is the “macho” cops won’t do a damn thing about it. The DA are just “macho” cops in suits and in some cases, they’re ex-cops.
If there is a hate crime in your area and the cops/DA won’t do anything about, get vocal. Call your mayor, your city council person, and anyone else that will listen. Make those who will listen, LISTEN.
And people like “Libertarian Larry” they’re nothing more than an emptied head.
m.
This is obviously a hate crime. I was with the guy that got beat. I met him that night because my friends now him from middle school. He is not gay, but was with his lesbian friends. As we were walking towards the club, out of nowhere a bunch of guys just started beating him up. Before we could wrap our mind around that, he was already on the floor bleeding. At that moment i called 911 and while i was on the phone, even more people came and someone took out a metal bat and started beating him. He didnt even have a chance to even try to defend himself. People kept trying to stop the group of guys from beating him, but it was difficult when they had a bat swinging every where.
Earlier in the night that same group of guys were standing outside of the club making homophobic remarks. They even tried getting in a fight with my other gay friend. I do believe that he was targeted because they thought he was gay. At the moment we were walking towards the club, out of all of the group he was the one being the loudest and having fun. That’s just his personality. So because of that, i believe these guys thought he was a “f@ggot” as they like to yell to the gay people that frequent the club.
When police finally arrived there after 15 minutes, they had an “i dont give a crap” attitude towards the witnesses. My friend was asked about what happened by one of the cops, and as soon as my friend mentioined that these guys are homophobes, the cop literally left the conversation. I was shocked at the moment, but after thinking about it, i know i should not be surprised. However, i was shocked when about 20 minutes, police were still in the perimeter and a second fight broke out between a group of 5 guys, and EPPD did nothing to interfere. I took the initiative to let them know a fight had broken out and the response from one of the cops was, “don’t tell the cops…”, my response to him was, “if you dont care, then i dont either” and i walked away in utter shock.