A mob that allegedly attacked a gay couple are attempting to turn the tables by claiming that the couple actually threw the first punch.
Last Thursday a gay couple was walking to dinner in Philadelphia, when they were reportedly attacked by a group of "well-dressed" men and women. One victim suffered a bone fracture in his face that will require surgery, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
After a group of social media sleuths identified some members reported to be part of the group of assailants, these individuals were expected to come forward to police. However, the way they are framing the fight is radically different from how the story was originally reported.
When the suspects were questioned by the police, one of their defense attorneys reportedly told NBC news that one of the two victims threw the first punch and that there is video footage of incident that would prove it, but he declined to share it at this time (see video above for more).
"The District Attorney warned the boys that would be a defense strategy," Caryn Kunkle, the victims' friend, told reporters. "So they were prepared for that. So I'm not really surprised."
Additionally, an assistant high school basketball coach associated with the attacks was reportedly terminated over his connections with the brutal attack on the gay men.
While the attack on the two men was initially labeled as a hate crime, hate crime legislation does not cover sexual orientation in the state of Pennsylvania. As a result, City Councilman James Kenney has called for federal hate crime charges to be issued against the attackers.
The Citizens Crime Commission is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case, while a restaurant called Pennsylvania 6 is offering a $10,000 reward.