CROWN HEIGHTS — Police are investigating an assault on a 16-year-old high school student who was harassed for being gay before his attacker slammed his head on a sidewalk this week, sources said.
The teen was walking along Franklin Avenue near Eastern Parkway after school on Oct. 11 when a young man approached him and used a derogatory term for gay men.
The suspect then attacked the 16-year-old, who identifies as gay, hitting and punching him, then slamming his head onto the concrete sidewalk, which scraped and bruised his face, sources said.
The suspect and five other young men present during the incident fled on foot. The victim was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.
The NYPD said the department is investigating the incident, but has not deemed it a hate crime.
It’s unclear if the assailant is a classmate of the victim, who attends a high school nearby where the assault took place.
The Department of Education said staff at the teen’s school are aware of the incident and lending support to the victim as needed.
No suspect has been identified and no arrests have yet been made in the assault, police said.