A Brooklyn teenager who was assaulted in Bay Ridge feels the NYPD is dragging its feet in the case and says the incident should be investigated as a hate crime.
Fifteen-year-old Vaughn Roy, who is black, says he was walking home from Fort Hamilton High School July 10 when a group of white and Arabic teens allegedly yelled racial slurs at him. Vaughn says the teens then beat him with pipes, causing him to receive 15 stitches.
Police arrested three suspects and charged them with first-degree assault. However, investigators say they do not expect to make additional arrests. Officials refused to comment on why the incident is not being treated as a hate crime.
Community groups blame a loophole in the law that says juveniles, people younger than 15, cannot be charged with hate crimes. They say that needs to change because many of these crimes are committed by youths.