Transgender Woman In Christmas Day Attack At Bed-Stuy Shelter: DA

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — A man who attacked a transgender woman inside a Bed-Stuy homeless shelter on Christmas Day faces hate crime charges, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Kane Sekou, 40, used a chair to beat his 31-year-old victim in the 13th Regiment Armory shelter at 357 Marcus Garvey Boulevard on Dec. 25 around 6:15 p.m., according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office.

The woman was walking down a hallway when she heard Sekou running toward her from behind, prosecutors said.

She turned to see Sekou swinging a chair, which he used to hit her across her back while screaming homophobic slurs, prosecutors said.

Police, who arrived at the shelter after the woman called 911, heard Sekou making homophobic comments and turned the case over to the Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate, prosecutors said.

Sekou was arraigned on charges of assault as a hate crime Wednesday in Brooklyn Criminal Court, prosecutors said.

This is not the first time Sekou has faced hate crime charges in New York City, the Daily News reported.

Sekou pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in March after he attacked a gay man with a rock in The Bronx and called him a f----t, according to the Daily News. He served seven days community service for the crime.

The Bed-Stuy man was held on $20,000 bail Wednesday and told to return to court on March 14, according to prosecutors. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

“This cowardly and unprovoked attack in which an innocent woman was assaulted simply because she is transgendered is despicable,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

“In Brooklyn, we will not tolerate bias-motivated crimes of any kind."

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