FBI Investigating Detroit Gay Bashing

The Detroit Free Press reports that the FBI is now investigating the March 7th assault on 23 year old Justin Alesna, who was a Detroit gas station last week when a man accused him of standing too close, screamed anti-gay slurs, then attacked him, leaving Alesna with facial injuries. The Detroit resident said he went to a gas station on Greenfield, near 7 Mile, to buy cigarettes. He said that during the verbal attack, he said he is gay and the man insulting him punched him in the face twice. Alesna said he was able to get the man in a headlock and asked the clerk to call police, but the clerk told them to stop and leave the store. FBI agents, according to Alesna, have possession of surveillance video from the gas station. Sandra Berchtold, a spokeswoman for the FBI Detroit office, confirmed Wednesday that the agency, which handles hate crimes, is investigating. The Detroit City Council discussed the attack Tuesday, calling it an abomination. Council President Charles Pugh said he encouraged Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. to track down the attacker. Alesna said Detroit police asked him to make identification during a line-up Tuesday night, but he was not able to do so. He said he was told later one of the men may have been a witness to the assault. Alesna posted a video of himself on YouTube (available at the source), in which he appears to have a swollen and bruised right eye. A spokesman for Equality Michigan said the organization's department of victim services has been in touch with Alesna."We all know this story, we all know what could happen," Alesna said. "You don't ever think it will happen to you."