An assault took place at a house party at the University of Wisconsin-Madison yesterday and police are investigating it as a possible hate crime:
"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."