A 29-year-old doctor in New York City has undergone emergency surgery for a broken jaw following a violent hate crime attack on July 4.
Sina Rezaie had just exited the subway in Greenwich Village when an unidentified man approached him from behind.
“He called me a f*ggot and then half a block later, he came from behind and kicked and punched me multiple times,” Rezaie told NBC News. “I don’t know why this happened to me.”
The beating left Rezaie with his jaw broken in two places. He lay on the ground until after his attacker had vanished and managed to pull himself to his feet. Then he stumbled to a nearby bar for help.
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Laurie Beck and Richard Delay–two friends of Rezaie–happened to work at the bar at the time. They immediately called for an ambulance as they tried to help him.
“I just kind of saw our friend walking outside kind of erratically and I called [Delay’s] attention ‘go see what’s going on with our neighbor, it looks like he’s distressed.’ [Daley] went outside to check it out, then he starts waving to me so I grabbed a bottle of water and some paper towels and ran outside,” Beck said.
“I saw him holding his mouth, blood running out from face. He said that he had gotten attacked by some guy who said something to him as he came off the train. Apparently the guy called him a slur and then threw him to the ground, and started kicking him repeatedly,” Delay added.
Rezaie’s injuries left him with metal screws in his jaw and the joint wired shut. He will need to live with the apparatus for at least a month while he heals.
Police have yet to announce any suspects in the attack.
Meanwhile, friends of Rezaie have launched a crowdfunding video to help offset the cost of his medical expenses. At the time of this writing, it has raised over $12,000 with a goal of $15,000.
spacecadet
This is awful. I hope they find the scum that did this and hold him accountable.
Vince
Wow. Having my mouth wired shut for a month would really suck.
Even if you don’t know how to fight always protect your head.
Fahd
What a horror story – New York City seems worse than ever. It’s also a sad commentary on America when a doctor has to crowdfund his medical expenses – I guess maybe he could be a doctor of philosophy, but still.
Chrisk
Yeah, if he was a medical kind of Doctor he could easily make that in 2 months.
Kangol2
He might be in an internship or doing a residency, in which case he wouldn’t be making lots of money. Also, he might be in that gap between being on his parents’ insurance, having private insurance, being able to afford private insurance on an ACA plan, and Medicaid (though he probably makes too much for this). No one–a doctor of whatever kind or anyone else–should have to go without healthcare insurance in the richest country on earth.
chasgoose
If he’s only 29 years only that means he’s still a resident at best. The average medical resident in NYC makes about $65k per year, which is obviously not a lot, especially in NYC. Not to mention he still has a ton of student debt (that usually is interest free during a residency, but it’s still a lot). The trade off for all of this is doctors do make a very good salary post-residency/fellowship, but until then they make very little, and certainly not enough to deal with unanticipated medical costs like this, without some difficulty.
Heywood Jablowme
Chilling. I have friends in the neighborhood & hope with all the cameras they can identify the perpetrator.
stanhope
So many impressions…..one as i have always said, carry mace with dye on your key ring…..two, the old activist gay crowd would never let this happen in our neighborhood depending on the usually worthless police to solve the problem and last while you boys are in the gym getting pretty to attract guys, add some self defense training. This will stop when it is known that this kind of attack comes with risk.
PerhapsYesNoMaybe
If someone says something derogatory to you it is more often than not a prelude to an attack. So never turn your back during or after such an interaction until you know you are safely away.
balttymore
Exactly!!! Keep your eye on that person and walk fast….cross the street or be ready to fight……And he is a doctor, why does he need a gofundme?
QJ201
The irony of having to be more on the lookout in a queer neighborhood.
Lilopt
America never ceases to surprise… A man is brutally attacked, is left with a broken jaw, and has to pay thousands of dollars to be treated?! Has your country gone utterly mad? In Europe he would not have to pay a single cent… Oh, but that is because we are all socialists, or rather, comunists, right? Greatest country in the world, indeed!
rural queer socialist
All the statistics show that
NYC, LA, Chicago, and most large and mid size American metros
over the past year
have become
HELL HOLES/SHIT HOLES of vicious violence, particularly harmful to working class and poorer neighborhoods, Black and Brown communities, and others – including queer folks.
And, will GET WORSE AND WORSE so long as ‘progressives’ continue with ‘defund the police’ theories of social control, ‘CRT’ theories infecting public education rather than civil rights and responsibilities, character and morality education.
This is the sort of violent HELL HOLE/SHIT HOLE ya’ll done made. What ya’ll gonna do now?
bluewindboy
You are, of course, correct, BUT not to worry, SuperDon will kiss the boo-boos and make them alright on Aug 13th when he is restored to power.