A 53 year old gay man was kicked in the head and then harassed by his assailant who screamed anti-gay slurs at Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco’s Castro last weekend.

Michael Levy, 53, had just gotten off Muni and was on his way home from a fundraiser Saturday, August 25, at 10 p.m., when a man, sitting on a brick ledge, kicked him in the head. Levy decided to continue walking up Market Street toward his home.

But after walking a short distance, Levy heard the man screaming, “Suck a dick you fucking faggot” at him, and decided to get a picture of the suspect so he could report the incident to the police.

The suspect, listed in the police report as a while male, in his 40s or 50s, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, left the scene before police arrived.

Levy has lived in the Castro for the past 19 years, this is his second encounter with neighborhood crime, the first occurred several years ago when someone broke into his garage.

“The whole city has gone to shit,” he said, “given the volume and aggressiveness of the crimes.”

SFPD District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said that recently he has been “hearing way too many stories about people being assaulted or feeling unsafe” in the Castro.

Mandelman  continued; “We know we have a serious mental health and addiction crisis and dealing with it is a priority for me,” he said.

This year’s budget for the police department will bring a “significant increase” in the number of police officers, he added.

The incident, categorized as a battery and considered a misdemeanor, could be punished more severely if prosecutors classify it as a hate crime, according to an SFPD media relations spokesperson.

Source: Bay Area Reporter