As the Ballard Seafood Fest was winding down on Saturday, police made an arrest of a 22-year-old man after he harassed and attacked a gay couple with his skateboard.
Around 9:30 p.m., several witnesses approached officers on patrol of Ballard Avenue NE and NW Vernon Place about a disturbance down the block.
Officers then saw a man walking toward them with a skateboard in his hands, followed by a second man, who called out to officers and said he’d just been attacked.
The victim reported that he and his boyfriend were walking down the street holding hands when the suspect began harassing them with anti-gay slurs, and then rushed toward them while swinging his skateboard. The attacker missed the men, and fled the scene.
The suspect did not deny the claims and informed the officers he was “just chilling,” and was having a “bad night,” according to police.
Police arrested the suspect and booked him into the King County Jail for investigation of malicious harassment, Washington’s hate crime statute.
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