Gay activists question handling of bias attacks

Two attacks on gay Long Island residents have activists speaking out against how police and prosecutors handle such cases. A Central Islip man was arraigned Wednesday on felony assault charges stemming

News 12 Staff

Jul 1, 2009, 11:44 PM

Updated 5,781 days ago

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Two attacks on gay Long Island residents have activists speaking out against how police and prosecutors handle such cases.
A Central Islip man was arraigned Wednesday on felony assault charges stemming from an alleged anti-gay attack. Wenzola Rountree is accused of beating three gay men in Central Islip.
On Tuesday, three people in Mastic Beach were arrested for allegedly hitting a lesbian while yelling anti-gay slurs. The suspects face a misdemeanor charge because police say the alleged victim?s injuries were not serious enough.
Police with the hate crimes unit, however, say the aggravated harassment charge in the Mastic Beach case addresses the hate crime element.