Gay couple brutally attacked in Ohio ‘thought it was the end’
A gay couple, who were brutally beaten in a random attack in Ohio, thought they were going to die.
Bryson Beier and Mantej Sandhu moved to Short North in Columbus from California only a week before the were assaulted.
After leaving a bar in the early hours of Saturday, January 28, the couple initially received a wave of abuse, including being told that “God hates fags” and you’re going to hell”, from a number of men who were heading toward their car.
When the couple stopped to take a photo of their licence plate, the group were joined by a second car, who joined the four or five initial men in attacking the pair.
Speaking of the event, Mr Beier said he thought he was going to die.
“I thought for sure this was the end,” he added.
Both men were forced to the ground where the group then took turns at punching and kicking them.
“All of the sudden they start, they punch me in the face, throw me on the ground. and next to me he was going through the same thing with the other five black guys,” said Mr Sandhu.
“Each took a turn- punch, kick. Punch, kick. They were like, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Punch, kick. ‘You like that?’”
Mr Beier added: “I don’t know if it was like my own personal self-protection or what, but my vision went black and my brain just kind of shut down and I almost stopped feeling for a minute.”
Mr Sandhu’s face was swollen and streaked with blood and although Mr Beier’s injuries were less visible, but he says his body is bruised and his nose fractured.
The City of Columbus don’t have any LGBT hate crime legislation but the local police force said it will investigate and present a case to prosecutors.
