Did Gay Slur Spark Stabbings?
Police investigating claims that man accused of stabbing five others was the victim of a hate crime.
Photos
REYNOLDSTOWN — An Atlanta Police Department spokesman said Wednesday that the agency is investigating claims that a New Year's Eve stabbing incident involving six people at a party was sparked by a gay slur.
“We have received information that the incident was possibly preceded by a gay slur directed towards the arrestee," APD spokesman Carlos Campos told East Atlanta Patch Wednesday. "We are not sure if the information is credible, but are investigating the incident and will pursue this and any other leads."
Luke Patrick O'Donovan, 19, is charged with five counts of aggravated assault in the resulting fight.
Several of his friends and supporters who have started a support fund for his defense, say O'Donovan is the victim of a hate crime and was defending himself. They've solicited the help of the Atlanta Black Cross, a group organized to support the rights of prisoners.
"The motivations of the attack on Luke seem to originate in the fact that he had been seen dancing with and kissing other men earlier at the party," according to a statement on the Atlanta Black Cross page.
"Luke was repeatedly insulted with homophobic slurs throughout the night. The men who attacked Luke are known to have exhibited homophobic language and behavior in the past. Luke was called a [derogatory gay slur] during the fight."
A number of people who say they were at the party e-mailed Patch giving a similar sequence of events at 239 Gibson St.
While APD says it is investigating, Campos said O'Donovan remains charged with stabbing five people.
"It will be up to the judicial system to determine if there were any mitigating factors prior to the stabbings," he said. "Zone 6 investigators are in the preliminary stages of investigation, and our LGBT liaisons have also been alerted to the incident."
Anyone with information that might be helpful is urged to call APD Zone 6 investigators at 404.373.5331 or 5332.
carter
5:38 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
This is progress. Thanks for always offering a clearer picture, East Atlanta Patch. I look forward to finding more details about this bigotry soon. Atlanta, we are better than this!
this should never have happened
3:43 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
agreed
Witness Jones
8:14 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
https://www.wepay.com/x1kva71/donations/luke-o-donovan-support-fund
mc1237
5:09 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Goes to show people are willing to believe anything and jump on any bandwagon cause they can get their hands on. This guy is STRAIGHT, had a girlfriend, and was already known to be violent. DON'T BE FOOLED BY HIS COPOUT LIES. Victims were not homophobes and nobody deserves to be stabbed over words nonetheless. Shame on you people.
this should never have happened
3:43 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The kid is QUEER. You can date people of the opposite sex and STILL BE QUEER. GUESS WHAT?? They are both polyamorous and queer. Maybe you can use something is common as wikipedia and expand your mindset a bit. Need me to define those words for you?? People shouldn't go around using homophobic slurs. Sorry Luke doesn't fit your stereotypical ideas of queer. Sorry he didn't go around screaming details of his personal life to people who weren't in his intimate circle of friends. Learn a thing or two.
mc1237
5:12 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Also, great witness statements, really endearing & eye opening stuff.
Qwerty
9:52 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
You're right mc1237 people are willing to believe anything. Like people are willing to believe Luke is straight. He's not. People are willing to believe Luke has a history of violence. He doesn't. People are willing to believe calling someone a faggot and beating them in a large group doesn't make you a homophobe. It does. Luke did what he had to do to escape from a group that was trying to beat him to death, according to many witnesses.
Qwerty
9:52 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Also Luke has BEEN IN JAIL and unable to even speak to anyone outside about what happened.
concerned
10:51 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Nobody deserves to get JUMPED over words either, but when you're being jumped by a group of people you fear for your life and do whatever it takes to escape before sustaining serious injuries.
Useyourhead
11:13 am on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Sounds to me like the folks who got stabbed bit off more than they could chew when they attacked Luke, and then showed their true colors as cowards by acting like the victims and snitching to the cops. The only thing worse than that are their friends who know what happened and instead of keeping their mouth shut went and got someone only guilty of self defense locked up on charges that could potentially ruin his entire life.
mc1237
12:23 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Sounds to me like yall are cheapening gay rights by making up that he was attacked and specifically singled out. I smell hidden agendas all over the place. Getting stabbed in the AORTA I don't think is snitching, not like they're the ones who called the police
mc1237
12:23 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Nevermind that dude had NOTHING on him, no bruises, no black eye. If 5-12 people jumped him, don't you think there'd be something. You're all reaching for a story. Kids in cabbagetown in their mid 20s don't jump people for being gay, it just doesn't happen. He made a huge mistake and that's all their is to it. This isn't a hate crime and this whole anarcho agenda isn't fooling everyone
DHT
1:36 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
@mc1237. Uhh, Luke what stabbed as well, I wouldn't call that NOTHING. Or do you think he stabbed himself too? Also it is Reynoldstown. On the neighborhood people reported leaving that party because they could sense something creepy was going on. Sounds like he was set up to be bashed. What a great way for homophoves to ring in the New Year!
DHT
1:26 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Also, what "gay rights"??? Are you writing about federal or state? (neither of which we have here incidentally)
Kirkwood Resident
9:24 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
How about we wait for more info before making any decisions? Who knows anything yet? Reminds me of trayvon case with how quick people pick sides. Get the facts straight and then make an educated decision.