Police In Spokane Washington Investigating Possible Hate Crime; Gay Advocate Beaten Earlier Saturday

A Spokane man badly beaten outside a downtown bar claims he was the victim of a hate crime, reports KXLY. Danny Hawkins, a board member of Out/Spokane, says he was attacked as he left Depsey's Brass Rail around 1:00 am Saturday because he touched a car belonging to a group of men. Hawkins explains he put his hand on the hood of the car, thinking that the driver was unaware he was there and was in danger of being struck by the vehicle. He's calling it a hate crime because the men who beat him up were yelling gay slurs. Saturday afternoon, Hawkins and a group of his friends held a press conference at the LGBT center in North Spokane to speak out against hate crimes. “There were words that were very derogatory and aimed at hurting me personally,” Hawkins said. “It's the 21st century and that kind of thing shouldn't happen, we're all people, treat everybody the way you want to be treated.” Hawkins was able to report the crime to police before seeking treatment at a hospital. The men who attacked him have not been found.