A man in Brooklyn has been indicted on hate crime and attempted murder charges after he allegedly harassed an LGBTQ couple and stabbed one of them in the neck, the district attorney's office announced Wednesday.
Emmanuel Dash, 32, is accused of "spewing hate" at a 32-year-old man and his gender non-conforming partner outside their apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant on June 22. According to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Dash allegedly knocked on apartment doors in the neighborhood, looking for the couple.
Dash then threatened the couple after one of them opened the door, saying he was glad he knew where they lived because he didn't like gay people.
The couple recognized Dash from the around the neighborhood and later tried to speak to him, Gonzalez said, but Dash allegedly attacked them with a knife as they were returning to their apartment.
Dash stabbed the 32-year-old victim in the back of his neck, leaving a 6-inch gash that partially severed his vertebral artery, according to officials. He was later arrested on on July 24.
The suspect was charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault as a hate crime and other related charges, according to the DA's office. If convicted, Dash could face up to 25 years in prison.
“This defendant allegedly violated the sanctity and safety of this couple’s home when he showed up at their door spewing hate, then escalated it to a violent assault. There is no place for such ignorance and intolerance in Brooklyn, where we celebrate our diversity. We will now seek to hold this defendant accountable for this very serious attack," Gonzalez said in a statement.
