Bed-Stuy Man Indicted In Anti-Gay Attack At Brooklyn Bodega: DA

BROOKLYN, NY — Two men, one from Bed-Stuy, have been indicted in a vicious anti-gay attack that unfolded outside a bodega in Bushwick last month, according to the district attorney.

Christopher Clemente, 37, and 31-year-old Jonathan Carter, who is from Ocean Hill, are facing a 26-count indictment for the Sept. 4 hate crime, which left two men with collapsed lungs and multiple stab wounds, the DA announced Friday.

Clemente and Carter are accused of making homophobic slurs at the two men while they waited for food at the Broadway bodega at 2:10 a.m. before assaulting them, according to prosecutors.

“The defendants’ actions were particularly egregious as they allegedly attacked two innocent people because they believed them to be gay," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "No one should be targeted because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or religion. We must all be able to safely walk the streets of our city without fear of being senselessly attacked.”

Both Carter and Clemente are facing second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime, first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault as a hate crime and other charges for the attack, the DA said.

During the attack, Carter smashed a glass liquor bottle into the 36-year-old victim's face before hitting him repeatedly with the bottle on his head and body, according to prosecutors.

Clemente punched the 36-year-old multiple times before stabbing him, prosecutors said.

He and a third man, who is still on the loose, then chased down the younger victim, a 29-year-old, and held him down while Clemente stabbed him, prosecutors said.

Both men were sent to the hospital with multiple stab wounds, the older man with a collapsed left lung and the younger with two collapsed lungs, prosecutors said.

Carter, who was arraigned Friday, is slated to return to court in December. Clemente, who is being held on $100,000 cash bail, will be arraigned next week, prosecutors said.