The partner of the head of a left-leaning advocacy group was the target of an apparent hate crime in the heart of Midtown Atlanta.
GA Voice reports that Bryan Long, who heads Better Georgia, was holding hands with his partner in March after leaving a restaurant when a suspect jumped out of a car, yelled anti-gay slurs and punched Long's partner in the back of his head. Surveillance video then shows the suspect pushing the man into oncoming traffic.
The news outlet reports that Atlanta police have identified the car's driver, but that he claims he didn't know who the passenger who committed the attack was. The investigation remains open.
The victim prefers to remain anonymous, but Long came forward today with a lengthy statement to GA Voice:
We filmed a video of the two suspects in their vehicle and immediately called 911. In the days and weeks after the assault we worked actively with the Atlanta Police Department to provide them with information — including the suspects' license plate number — that we thought would be valuable to their investigation and assist in apprehending the attacker.
We are thankful for recent media coverage that has raised the profile of this case and alerted the public to the fact that this case is still unsolved despite the fact that Atlanta Police has talked to the driver of the car.
I firmly believe that the criminal justice system can and should do more to resolve this case. I have no doubt that the driver of the car knows the name of his passenger and can help the police bring this case to a close and achieve justice for me and my partner.
We are hopeful that the GA Voice continues to investigate why the police department has failed to bring the assailant and his co-conspirator to justice."
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