Two victims incurred severe facial injuries as the result of two downtown batteries Sunday and Monday, one of which the police are investigating as a hate crime against homosexuals.
At approximately 2:55 a.m. Monday, a 21-year-old Madison man was taken to a local hospital with a broken nose and facial fracture near his left eye.
The Madison Police Department responded to a call from a home on the 400 block of West Mifflin Street to find the victim beaten in the living room, according to an incident report.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the perpetrator directed a gay epithet at the victim, who was dancing, and then punched him to the ground.
“[The incident] could be a potential hate crime because [the victim] was attacked because he was perceived as being gay,” Verveer said.
Verveer, who confirmed the victim was a University of Wisconsin student, said the victim is not gay. Also, because the 21-year-old’s nose was broken, the perpetrator, if caught, could be charged with felony substantial battery.
Because the victim did not know his attacker, DeSpain warned of strangers entering house parties.
“The problem with some of these house parties is people come into houses that [residents] don’t know and … if you allow people in the house that you don’t know, you don’t know what can happen,” DeSpain said.
On Sunday, shortly before 9 p.m., police responded to a call at State Street and West Gorham Street of a man who was attacked.
The victim, 44, of Madison, was found unconscious, according to witnesses. However, when the officers arrived at the scene, the victim regained consciousness.
According to the incident report, the victim told police he confronted a man running down the street with a bottle of vodka from Badger Liquor at 402 State St.
According to DeSpain, the perpetrator was banned from the liquor store and when the clerk refused to sell him alcohol, the perpetrator put $11 on the counter and ran off with the bottle, which retailed for about $14.
The victim reported he followed the perpetrator after the clerk yelled, but the perpetrator hit him on the head with the bottle, and the victim fell to the pavement and hit his head.
