Feisty Aphrodite Archives
Hate crime victim Michael Sandy dies in New York
Michael Sandy died October 13, one day following his 29th birthday, after four white men robbed and brutally beat him on the motivation that Sandy was a gay African-American.
Sandy had chatted with one of the men online who agreed to meet him at the Plum Beach parking lot in Brooklyn for a rendezvous. When Sandy arrived, four men began to viciously attack him. Sandy was able to break free and while fleeing, was hit by a passing car who then fled the scene. As Sandy lay in the street the men began to beat him again, contributing to the critical wounds that would later lead to his death. Sandy was rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator, dying a few days later after his family agreed to take him off of life support. Three men, ranging from 16-20 years-old, have been arrested and charged with hate crimes while a fourth is being questioned. The driver of the car is still unknown. A rally was held yesterday at the New York City Hall to condemn Sandy's murder. For more information about hate crimes, including statistics and law enforcement policies, please visit the Human Rights Campaign website.
