Three men — Micah Jontomo Tasaki, 21 (pictured), y Lee Winfield, 20, and Robert Lee Denor, 19 — are scheduled to appear in court today for a gay bashing that occurred in Sacramento just hours after the Supreme Court handed down its same-sex marriage decision on Thursday. It’s not known whether there is a connection between the two events.
“The Thursday evening incident at a Sacramento gas station came just hours after the California Supreme Court issued a ruling overturning a state ban on same-sex marriages. A 23-year-old Sacramento man was sitting with another man in a car near the station’s restroom when the three suspects asked if he was a homosexual, Sacramento Police Officer Michelle Lazark said. The man said he was. When he got out of the car, the three men beat and kicked him, Lazark said. He did not require medical treatment. It was not immediately clear if the suspects were reacting to the court’s ruling, Lazark said. ‘It’s a gay-bashing. Gay slurs were used before they commenced to beating him,’ she said. ‘I don’t know if these guys were looking for someone or are just ignorant.’ … The victim of the Sacramento beating, who police would not name, identified his attackers, who were arrested near the gas station. Their cases are being reviewed by Sacramento County prosecutors, spokeswoman Tanisha Worthy said.”
Tasaki remains in jail after being unable to post $85,000 bond. Winfield and Denor both posted bond and are currently free.
Above, a photo of Tasaki from his Black Planet profile page.
Sacramento men arrested in what police say was ‘gay-bashing’ hours after court decision [ap]
