Yahoo News Couple attacked by gang of men after challenging 'homophobic slur'
A couple were left bloodied and bruised after being attacked by a gang of men during a birthday celebration. Emma MacLean and her girlfriend Tori were enjoying a birthday party in Halifax in Canada last month when they became involved in a heated altercation with the group, after one of the men was alleged to have made a homophobic comment towards them.
MacLean, told local outlet CTV News: “A group of men walking on the other direction made a comment to me. My girlfriend, Tori, said ‘hey that’s my girlfriend.’”
She said the men became aggressive after her girlfriend told them that it was ‘not okay’ to hurl homophobic abuse, reports The Mirror. MacLean said she was left with a black eye, chipped tooth and a broken nose following the attack.
She added: “They continued walking and then Tori followed them to basically verbally say ‘that is not okay’. I see Tori being pushed on the stairs right in front of the BMO centre and they are cement stairs and she’s on her back.
“That’s when all the men start punching and kicking her. The fight or flight came in. I jumped on one of their backs and put him in a chokehold basically trying to restrain him."
Police officers patrolling the area were alerted to the attack by a passersby. But when they arrived, the altercation had already ended. MacLean says officers then approached her and Tori, telling them that they spoke with one of the men involved in the incident.
“The officer said that one person stuck around to give their ID and claimed that we attacked them,” she explained. “He said the other people were not cooperative in giving their identification.”
The attack, which happened on June 22, left both women with horrific injuries, with Tori left with bruises on her arm and under her eye.
“I felt punches and kicks and then I felt it on my nose and there was blood,” MacLean added. I just thought this needs to stop now. I went to [emergency] the night of and they basically said it was too swollen for surgery.
“I’m terrified to go downtown again in Halifax. I just feel like it’s so out of your control on what could happen. It’s overwhelming. I didn’t expect something like this to happen, especially with it happening during Pride Month as well.”
According to CTV News, the incident is currently under investigation and nobody has been charged at this time.
