This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake City police are looking into a reported assault as a potential gay hate crime.
Two males were involved in a verbal dispute Friday night with a group of other males who "took offense to the perceived sexual preference of the victims," according to a Salt Lake City police watch log.
Detective Greg Wilkings clarified Monday that, as far as the police know, one of the two males is reportedly gay and the other is straight.
The pair was standing on the sidewalk near 370 S. Main Street when, about 11:30 p.m. Friday, one of the suspects approached them and punched one of the males, knocking him unconscious, according to the watch log. It appears that the reportedly straight victim was the one who was punched while trying to stick up for his friend, according to police.
The suspect then ran off. The victim's friend tried but failed to catch the suspect.
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