A New York City man has been indicted on hate crime charges after prosecutors said he allegedly attacked another man while shouting anti-gay slurs inside a Harlem subway station. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictment, describing the incident as a “bias-motivated attack.” According to prosecutors, 26-year-old Tavaughn Thompson allegedly punched the victim multiple times after both men exited an A train near 125th Street and Eighth Avenue on December 29, 2023.
Authorities said Thompson repeatedly used homophobic slurs during the assault, which reportedly left the victim with facial injuries that required hospital treatment. Officials said the attack only stopped after a bystander stepped in and separated the two men. Police have not publicly identified the victim. The investigation remained open for more than two years before the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force identified Thompson as a suspect and arrested him in February this year.
Prosecutors said Thompson has been indicted on two counts of third-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of aggravated harassment. Manhattan District Attorney Bragg urged other victims and witnesses of hate crimes to report incidents to authorities, saying, “New Yorkers deserve to be safe using our transit system without fear of violence, discrimination, or harassment.”
