2 brothers claim teens attacked them while riding Broad Street Line home from Pride Parade
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two brothers said they were brutally attacked riding SEPTA's Broad Street Line riding home from the Philly Pride Day Parade Sunday.
The victims, who asked to remain anonymous, told Action News it all started when a group of teens entered the train they were riding at the Spring Garden Station just after midnight.
"They were going from one car to another," he said. "At first, we thought they were just going back and forth, but then we learned they were actually looking at what we had."
He says they were approached by a group of almost 10 teens.
"They called us gay. It was basically a gay bashing," he said. "They told us to give up our phones or we had to fight."
Since they wouldn't back down a fist fight broke out.
"They were punching us, we were punching them, but there were more of them so they go the best of us," he said.
Next, he says he heard the Taser.
"They separated us and they had me on one side and him, my brother, on the other side and that's when you heard the Taser," he said. "They tazed him on the arm, chest and leg."
The victim says it came to an end when the group of teens got off at Susquehanna.
"It makes me really sad due to the fact that in this day and age that as gays we can't be ourselves, we can't be as free as we once hope to be," he said.
SEPTA police say they are investigating but it's very preliminary.
"It was on the Susquehanna station at Broad traveling northbound," said SEPTA Police Sgt. Michael Wright. "We have pictures of actors of people that could possibly be suspects, people of interest."
Police hope if there are other victims that they come forward.
The victim said there were plenty of people on their train car and no one helped, they just watched.
The victim said he and his brother are meeting with police Tuesday evening.
Police said it is too early in the investigation to qualify this as a hate crime.
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