The NYPD just released the above sketch and poster of two of the six men wanted in an anti-gay hate crime attack this week of two men in Manhattan’s historically gay Chelsea neighborhood. The attack took place at about 12:30 AM Tuesday morning on West 24th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. A same-sex male couple, Peter Notman and Michael Felenchak, were holding hands, walking home from the movies, when two men called them “fags,” and then they found themselves surrounded by six men who assaulted them. Both men suffered facial lacerations and one required stitches.
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“They were here. They were in the middle of the street. They were like, ‘What are you looking at, you f**? Boom,†Notman told WCBS 880’s Peter Haskell:
Notman told 1010 WINS’ Gene Michaels he caught the attention of the doorman of one of the nearby apartment towers.
“I ran into the lobby to try to get away from them, and then they dispersed once they saw that we were in the lobby and told the guy to call the police,†he said.
The two spent nearly the whole night in the emergency room.
“I was hit with brass knuckles down the side of my face, and I had contusions; had to have an MRI, and Michael received several stitches in his mouth where they punched us,†Notman said.
Felenchak ended up requiring a total of seven stitches.
“We have our complete faith in the NYPD — they are great guys; they’re amazing. They’re going to find the guys,†Felenchak said.
“Chelsea of all places? Really?†said Chelsea resident Toby Berkowitz. “You’re here because it’s a very homogenized mix of people. We love that. But if you don’t feel safe in front of your local movie theater, where would you?â€
Police said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
You can download a PDF of the poster.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn tweeted the image, above, minutes ago.