Gay Couple Beaten By Group At Restaurant

ARIZONA - Scottsdale police are investigating a suspected hate crime reported by a gay couple who said they were jumped by as many as seven men outside a Scottsdale restaurant near McDowell and Scottsdale roads.
As they held hands and began to leave Frasher's Steakhouse late Sunday, Jean Rolland and Andrew Frost said they were beaten in the restaurant's entryway.
Rolland and Frost said that, as they left the restaurant, two men headed into the eatery. One of the assailants called the couple a derogatory term. It was unclear whether any weapons were used in the attack.
Frost, 19, was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, where he was treated and released. Frost received several staples to treat a wound on his scalp and several stitches to seal other wounds on his face.
Rolland, 28, suffered minor injuries.
The men want to press charges against their attackers, none of whom had been arrested as of Monday afternoon, according to Scottsdale police.
"My only hope is that they're going to brag about it and tell their friends how tough they were," said Rolland, a native of France who lives part time in Scottsdale.
The Sunday-night incident was upsetting, he said, because no one from the restaurant said they saw anything, though the attacked happened only a few feet from the front door.
"It was creepy to me," said Frost, a Scottsdale resident.
"I had blood pouring out of me, and I actually blacked out at one point."
Scottsdale police confirmed the assault about 8 p.m. at the restaurant at 2122 N. Scottsdale Road.
George Frasher, owner of the restaurant, said he was shocked to hear about the attack, which started near the entrance before spilling out into the parking lot.
Rolland and Frost brought the assault to the attention of the Arizona Human Rights Fund and Foundation, a Phoenix-based non-profit organization that advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.
The organization, which has lobbied the Legislature for stricter penalties involving hate crimes, will follow the Scottsdale police investigation to determine if the attack was triggered by anti-gay sentiments.
from AZ Central