When a group of men attacked a trans woman and her friend in Austin Beach, a passerby intervened, but her jaw broke.
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Now, good Samaritan families have begun raising funds for medical expenses, but the victims of the attack shared photos on social media and urged anyone with information to contact police. Austin police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.
“We all belong to this community,” reads a statement from the Austin Police Department. “APD remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive Austin community. Our ongoing commitment aims to ensure that all members have a safe, recognized and respected community.”
The trans woman told Kxan about the moment leading up to violence to local news outlet Kxan, telling her that one of her friends spoke to one of her friends before making a transphobic statement.
“His initial response was to point to me and say something along those lines, ‘I don’t agree with that lifestyle, it’s gross’,” she said. “Then she retreated from him and told me and the guy who stepped in about it. We got mad and went to talk to them and asked them what their problem was. Then they (the three men) got really loud and violent, and perhaps as you saw on the video, they attacked us.”
a reddit Users shared the story of what happened in the Burton Springs Free Area.
“The three men then began to become aggressive towards trans women just because they were trans, escalating verbal attacks in general, accusing the other two girls of being trans and plunging them near their breasts,” the Reddit post reads. “Then they started pushing my friends hard.”
That’s when another man tried to intervene, according to the post, but the suspect, who was wearing him, began to dare him with the rocks.
The Reddit post does not include the names of people involved in the attack, but M. and the GoFundMe page set up by P. Adkison confirms that his son was brutally assaulted after receiving the assistance of a woman.
“According to multiple witnesses’ accounts, a young trans woman and her friends were harassed and pushed into by a group of men, and our son intervened to protect them.
“He eventually maintained his head, bleeding ears, fractures and concussions. He now needs surgery on his broken jaw. However, as he is a construction worker without health insurance, he is reluctant to get the care he needs.
Austin police Report Confirm that the witness has reported the attack.
“An eyewitness said that bystanders tried to intervene, and that bystanders were assaulted by the suspect, and that bystanders fell to the ground. The suspect reportedly pushed a witness before fleeing the area,” the report said.
The page has already raised $52,000, and has more than doubled its $20,000 target. This post contains photos of the man and his son, and the money will be used to cover medical expenses and vacation jobs.
The Reddit post contains photos of the suspect’s attacker and contact information for Austin police and local Crimestoppers Hotline (512) 472-TIPS.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
