Suspect in Brutal Chelsea Beating of Two Gay Men at Large BY PAUL SCHINDLER A brutal May 5 attack on two gay men at the Dallas BBQ on Eighth Ave. just above 23rd St. — which included one of them being kicked in the face while he lay prone on the ground and moments later both having a chair bashed over their heads — was captured on video by a customer on the scene. Though the NYPD would only confirm that two assault complaints had been filed and an investigation was ongoing, Sharon Stapel, the executive director of the New York City AntiViolence Project, told our sister publication, Gay City News, that the incident — which occurred around 11 p.m. on a night when the city was celebrating Cinco de Mayo — was being investigated as bias-related by the department’s Hate Crimes Task Force. Jonathan Snipes, 32, and his boyfriend Ethan York-Adams, identified in press reports as 25, were leaving the restaurant when Snipes accidentally knocked over a drink. DNAinfo.com quoted Snipes as saying, “A table near us audibly started making pretty gross comments about the two of us like,
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‘White faggots, spilling drinks.’” Snipes told the news website that despite the fact that he weighs only 140 pounds and that one of the men making the remarks looked to be six-foot four, he confronted them over the slurs. One of the men stood up, and the incident quickly escalated. A video shot by another customer, Isaam Sharef, who posted it to his YouTube page, captured the chaotic scene that ensued. A large bald and bearded man appeared to be kicking Snipes on two separate occasions while the victim was on the ground. Others in the restaurant broke up the melee on several occasions, with people holding the attacker back and York-Adams trying to steer Snipes away. Screams and cries of “stop, stop” from the crowd can be heard throughout the video. Almost a minute into the confrontation, the attacker broke free from those restraining him, picked up a chair, and bashed both Snipes and York-Adams over the head, with YorkAdams appearing to take the worst of it, falling to the ground. Snipes can be seen sitting down, apparently dazed by
the attack. The Daily News reported that YorkAdams “appeared” to have been unconscious on the ground for several minutes until an ambulance arrived. A DNAinfo.com photograph of Snipes after the attack shows bruising on the right side of Image by Isaam Sharef via YouTube.com, courtesy of Gay City News his head and face and a long cut running down Isaam Sharef’s video of a Dallas BBQ customer bashing a chair over Jonathan Snipes and Ethan from his ear. Snipes’ York-Adams’ heads. mother, Trish Snipes — who spoke to Gay City identified as its spokesperson for the News from her home in Alabama — said her greatest concern incident, did not immediately return an was whether her son would lose some email seeking comment on the attack of his front teeth, which she said were and the allegation an employee may loosened as he was kicked by his assail- have helped the attacker elude capture. Neither Snipes nor York-Adams ant. After an ambulance arrived, the two immediately returned Facebook messagmen declined to go to the emergency es and a phone call seeking comment. Out gay City Councilmember Corey room, Snipes’ mother explaining her son worried he could not afford to pay Johnson, who represents much of for treatment there, which would have Manhattan’s Lower West Side, said in largely involved monitoring for any a written statement, “I am appalled and angered by the senseless act of concussion. She also said her son told her that anti-LGBT hate violence that was pera waitress at Dallas BBQ, whom she petrated last night at a restaurant in my described as having a ponytail, urged district. The fact that this attack took the attacker to “hurry up and leave place in the neighborhood of Chelsea, a place known around the world for before the police arrive.” The video appears to show the its acceptance of all people, is parattacker running around a wall of win- ticularly outrageous. There must be dows and then exiting the restaurant zero tolerance of hate crimes, the most immediately after he smashed the chair insidious of crimes, as they target entire communities of people. I urge the perover York-Adams and Snipes’ heads. Trish Snipes said her son described petrators of this act to turn themselves his assailant as an African-American, in immediately.” Anyone with information about the but that is not clear from the video, nor has the NYPD released a description Dallas BBQ attack can call the NYPD’s of any suspect. Both Snipes and York- Crime Stoppers at 646-610-6806 or the AVP’s 24-hour hotline at 212-714Adams are white. Eric Levine, whom the restaurant 1141.
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