A gay, male resident of Glendale, California remains hospitalized in critical condition following an altercation with an unidentified man on the street of Palm Springs over the weekend.
Justin Wicker and a friend had stopped on Arenas Road in the early morning hours of July 9 to stop and talk to a stranger on the street. Wicker mentioned to the stranger that he thought he resembled the actor Eddie Murphy, at which point, the stranger became incensed. The stranger began chasing Wicker, who tripped, fell and hit his head on the pavement. At that point, the stranger ran from the area.
Related: Doctor has jaw wired shut after violent antigay attack outside NYC subway station
Paramedics rushed Wicker to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Police, meanwhile, have opened an investigation into the incident. The Los Angeles Blade further reports that because the stranger in question was chasing the man at the time he fell, law enforcement is investigating the matter as an assault and battery. At the time of this writing, no concrete evidence has emerged to suggest the incident qualifies as a hate crime.
Friends of Wicker have launched a GoFundMe page to offset his medical expenses. According to the page, Wicker remains in Intensive Care, though doctors remain optimistic he will recover. In addition to his work as a marketing executive at a Glendale, CA-based firm, Wicker also has a history of volunteering for LGBTQ-based causes, including AIDS Lifecycle. At the time of this writing, it has netted just over $18,000 of a $100,000 goal.
Police in Palm Springs, meanwhile, continue to search for the suspect. Witnesses describe him as a black male, about 5’8″ tall, dressed in a blue button-up shirt, white shorts, and driving a black convertible. Law enforcement has appealed to any other witnesses that may have information about the assault, or to local shop owners who may have caught the incident on surveillance camera.
Wicker is also “a member of GMCLA (Gay Men’s Choir of Los Angeles) as well as Modern Men In Palm Springs.”
Chrisk
I think he would’ve faired better if he had just stood his ground against the eddy murphy runt. Also where was the friend? Was he running away too? Next time find some lesbian friends to escort you for safety or something.
I’m surprised anyone has any energy for this since it hovered around 117 degrees last wknd there.
ffxv
You look like eddie Murphy isnt really a compliment. I feel like its a thing white folks might say to black people because they cant think of another person to compare them to. Like its Denzel or Eddie or Dave Chappelle. In my past ive considered it to be a bit of a microaggression. You only know 6 famous black people and your comparing me to them for what. Why even say it?
Poor guy tho. He didnt need to be beaten down because of it.
connorlarkin19
Please provide 5 acceptable alternatives in order to avoid future assaults.
lwdurant
There is not enough detail in this story to know exactly what happened. He became incensed. He was chased. Was there an attack on him or he ran in fear? Was he pushed, causing him to fall or did he trip? Did he say something beside “you look like Eddie Murphy”. Assuming that the black man started this is not correct. I’m with FFXV’s assessment. I hope Wicker is ok.
With all the Karen’s in the world, let’s hope that this is not one of those.
PerhapsYesNoMaybe
“At the time of this writing, no concrete evidence has emerged to suggest the incident qualifies as a hate crime.”
Is that a pavement pun? [groan]
GreekKeys
Talked to a stranger in “the early morning hours…” Great idea.
RosemarysBaby
What’s your point? Is it that someone who talks to a stranger in the early morning hours deserves to end up in the ICU?
sfhairy
Sadly, I think they were looking for some meth, and this happened.
jthomasmpls
“the early morning hours…” A couple blocks from a couple of the Warm Sand borderline bathhouses, sadly, you may be right, something doesn’t smell right. In any event a terrible outcome that possibly could have been avoided.
Tombear
Something is wrong with this story. It smells funny!
BoomerMyles
Why was he initiating a conversation with a stranger at that time in the morning?
georger811
There is almost nothing in this article that is correct, other than the victims name. He lives in Rancho Mirage, he was attacked by two people who were driving by, There was no communications between the victim and his attacker. Where did the information for “this article” come from, certainly not the people who were involved or witnessed it.
Mr. Stadnick
This article seems, as are many on this site, unresearched.
Vince
Actually it’s coming from the blade. Queerty just copied it.
The police too if that’s to be believed.
georger811
And why are people blaming the victim?
BoylesqueBubble
Our resident troll wrangler has been awfully quiet today….
Vince
“We are trying to help with the costs of hospitalization as Justin is without work and thus, without health insurance.”
This is a good reminder that without health insurance I guess you’re screwed if something like this happens to you.
Hank31
The story says that he 1) is a marketing executive, 2) was chased, not beaten, and suffered injuries from a fall, and 3) that there is no concrete evidence that the chase was a hate crime. By contrast, the GoFundMe (for a whopping $100,000!) claims that: 1) he is not working and has no insurance, 2) it was a “beating” and 3) it was a “hate crime.”
Both of these can’t be true. Whom to believe? Not sure, but I find it hard to believe that an executive wouldn’t have insurance. Even if he is not working, he would still have it through COBRA or through the ACA exchange.
Operator7G
Whomever wrote the article only looked at basic info on LinkedIn. The works he’d done since 2018 was all contracted so no provided insurance through work. The article doesn’t make sense and is so very not accurate. He doesn’t even live in Glendale anymore.
dustychiffon
This article doesn’t make sense. You say he fell and hit his head while being chased, yet the gofundme says he fell, THEN was beaten on the ground by the assailant before he fled.
That seems like a big part of the story left out.
I also smell a bit of drug use here. Early morning PS, near the bathhouse. Never a good sign. Hope they catch him.
Chrisk
I’ve read 2 other articles on it. All they say was that he was chased while being called a fag*ot and fell down. This was even according to the other victim as well. I’m perplexed as well.
Palm Springs can get real dark in places at night so I could see a combination of out partying and not seeing where your stepping being an issue.
Chrisk
“a man who identified himself as one of the victims on the scene tells WEHO TIMES that the incident was very much a hate crime. “It was one hundred percent a hate crime like the sky is blue,” he said. “We were both called you white bi*ch. You white c*nt. F*cking fa*got, over and over again.”
He said punches were thrown and that Wicker was thrown down two steps by the sidewalk head first. When the assailant realized he was unconscious, he and a male companion fled the scene.”
So maybe scratch the the last comment.
RosemarysBaby
Some of you people are absolutely vile. I ended up with a traumatic brain injury after an attack much like this one and it has been devastating. It’s taken me decades to heal, mentally and physically, and I still have many residual issues. For some of you to jump to conclusions about drug use and to shame the victim is disgusting and inhumane. Gob forbid anything like this ever happens to any of you.
rmatthews
Agreed. Bitchy queens. My friend also ended up with a traumatic brain injury, and still hasn’t recovered. He was beaten into the pavement, right off Santa Monica Blvd, here in WeHo. 6 years ago. We still do not know what happened to him. His life will never be the same. Neither will my sister’s. She just had a stroke in February, at the age of 49.
People are indeed vile, sometimes.