Police in Benton Harbor, Michigan—about an hour northeast of Chicago—have made an arrest in connection with a December assault at a gas station described as a hate crime. Twenty-three-year-old Calvin Wright is accused of repeatedly punching a gay manat a gas station and is being held on suspicion of aggravated assault.
The assailant was arrested Saturday morning at a Benton Harbor fast-food restaurant, said [Benton Township Police Chief Vincent Fetke]. The man was taken into custody without incident. The victim, in his 50s, told the group the OutCenter, an advocacy group for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, about the attack. The group sent a press release to media outlets, condemning the attack. The victim told police that he had parked his car in the southeast corner of the gas station and when he exited his car a male approached him. The assailant asked the victim, "What's up?" and then reportedly struck the victim in the face with his fist.
A similar incident was reported in neighboring St. Joseph a few weeks earlier, reports Pride Source.
