Arrest Warrent Issued in Suspected Santa Cruz Gay Bashing
An alleged anti-gay assault that took place at a Santa Cruz club has led to an arrest warrant being issued for the suspected assailant.
The warrant for the arrest of 24-year-old Cole White was issued Jan. 5, reported local newspaper the Santa Cruz Sentinel that same day. White is wanted for allegedly beating a man in his early 30s identified only as Chris.
Both men had been at gay-friendly club Blue Lagoon, the article said; according to the victim’s account, as told to ABC News, White called Chris a "fag" outside the establishment, at which point Chris took his photo with his cell phone. "I turned to the person and I said, ’You know what? I am gay, I’m walking down the street, and I’m sorry you have a problem with it,’" Chris recounted. "And he started to come at me," the victim added.
Later, when both men were inside, the victim reportedly asked White about his having yelled anti-gay slurs at him. At that point, the report said, White launched into an attack, punching Chris, knocking him down, and beating him. The assault left the victim with cuts, bruises, and a broken nose.
Said Santa Cruz Police Department spokesperson Zach Friend, "This is a very disappointing thing to hear that in our community, in this day and age, that we would have this kind of issue, this kind of intolerance, that someone would be attacked exclusively because of their sexual orientation. It is inexcusable and unconscionable."
White may face hate crimes charges in the case. The ABC News account noted that White had been arrested half a dozen times in 2009, mostly for public intoxication.
Club manager Fred Friedman offered a different account of events, saying that the two clashed on the dance floor, then went outside to settle the matter. Friedman said that fighting is not tolerated at the club; those involved were ejected and will not be allowed back on the premises.
Friedman said he didn’t think the incident constituted a hate crime. "It went from Mr. White being attacked outside by the reported victim, to Mr. White inside then turning the tables on the reported victim and trying to get back at him," said Friedman. "I wished he had approached us initially because this wouldn’t have happened," added Friedman of the beating victim. "We always take care of our customers. We look out for our customers."
The article said that the victim took a photo of his assailant with his cell phone, at which point a friend of White’s, 23-year-old David Douglas Cameron snatched the phone and took off running with it; police stopped Cameron and recovered the phone, the article said. Cameron faces robbery charges. White’s whereabouts are unknown.
Santa Cruz has a reputation as a liberal city, and is the location of several reputed schools, including the University of California, Five Branches University, and a charter school called The Pacific Collegiate School.
