Man Charged With Hate Crime In Anti-Gay Attack, Prosecutors Say

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — A man who shouted homophobic slurs at a woman before punching her unconscious has been charged with assault as a hate crime, prosecutors said on Monday morning.

Antoine Thomas, 27, was indicted on multiple charges in connection with the May attack, acting Brooklyn district attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on Monday. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. (Want more local news? Sign up here for free news alerts and neighborhood updates from Patch.)

Thomas boarded a Brooklyn-bound Q train at the Union Square station at about 7:30 p.m. on May 21, according to prosecutors. On the train, Thomas sat next to the woman and her girlfriend before he began shouting "homophobic slurs" at both of them, according to a statement from the district attorney's office. Thomas screamed anti-gay slurs at the couple throughout the train ride into Brooklyn and aggressively bumped into the woman when the train made an abrupt stop, prosecutors said.

Then, when the train had arrived at the DeKalb Avenue station in Brooklyn, Thomas punched the woman in the face, knocking her unconscious and giving her a concussion, authorities said. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for a concussion, nasal fracture, a contusion and eye lacerations requiring eight stitches, prosecutors said.

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Thomas attempted to flee the station by walking between subway cars but was arrested by police after the train's conductor called 911. Following an investigation by the NYPD's hate crimes task force, Thomas was indicted on charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime and other charges. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

Patch was not immediately able to contact Thomas's attorney on Monday morning.

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