Three To Be Charged in Attack on Gay Couple

By Kara Seymour

Arrest warrants for three people have been issued after the Philadelphia District Attorney said Tuesday they were involved with an attack on a gay couple earlier this month.

Philip Williams, 24; Kevin Harrigan, 26; and Katherine Knott, 24, are being charged in connection with an assault on a gay couple on the 1600 block of Chancellor Street in Philadelphia on Sept. 11, according to the District Attorney. Each will be charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of criminal conspiracy. All three live in Bucks County.

“I would like to thank the police for their thorough investigation and the public for the outpouring of information and tips in this case,” District Attorney Seth Williams said. “This vicious attack shocked the entire country. An assault on people because of their sexual orientation has no place in Philadelphia.”

According to police, the two men bumped into a crowd of about a dozen young men and women on the 1600 block of Chancellor Street. Reports say that members of the group began to make disparaging remarks about their sexuality before attacking both men. The victims were sent to Hahnemann University Hospital with severe injuries.