This isnt a single band of asshat racists from wenatchee or somewhere else on the eastside. The scumbags who are doing this are more a 'trend' of the type of people that have moved to Seattles 'trendier' neighborhoods. Trust fund/upper middle class, isolated little bigots who have never had the experience of being isolated out because of your orientation or skin color, and who have lived their entire lives without consequences for abusing others. The concept of shaming people for being racist among those that are not has all but succumbed to giving excuses for 'racist friends just making jokes' or 'just drunk and being a dumbass'.

"Oh he used the nword, but hes not really racist. He just gets drunk and says stupid shit"

"Oh she doesnt have a racist bone in her body. She has a half native american friend on face book...would a racist have that?"

And thus these little shits have never suffered any stigma for being bigoted. Behold, Seattles hipster elite. Finally home to roost.

@moderator,

Comment #2 and #5 are definitely trolling. Obvious racist trolling. Wouldnt be surprised if this commenter had something to do with this attack, and is explaining his reasoning/defenses for assaulting a stranger because of his race.

I do find it disturbing that the victim was beaten up by a group of people even though he had a group of friends with him. Did the friends just up and run for their lives leaving their friend at the mercy of those thugs??????

When will SPD post foot patrols all over the Pike/Pine on weekend nights? Keep these racist/homophobic assholes in line with apparently the only thing they understand; since these children appear to have an incredibly weak moral code themselves.

@6

We dont know who the people he had with him were. Maybe they were afraid. Or maybe they were outnumbered. Not everyone feels the need to play the tough guy when out when friends, even though you or I would react differently.

@8

I dont think foot patrols (by the SPD especially) are going to do much to curb, or even limit THIS kind of thing. The SPD have their own habits of violence towards POC's in the city. And if you read the DOJ report from 3 years ago, youll remember often in their 'response to the victim', they have a habit of making things worst.

Are there still neighborhood watch type patrols going around? If the police aren't going to do anything maybe we can.

This is capitol hill, why anyone would think they would get away with this sort of thing boggles my mind. It's supposed to be LGBT's safe space in the city. It sounds like someone is purposefully targeting it, not just a bunch of drunks.

@12, If the friends were outnumbered, the least they could have done was run away with the (potential) victim or pull him out of the beatdown and run. One doesn't neccesarily have to be Charles Bronson, only just keep your friend and others in your group out of harms way any way possible. Other than that, the group leaving their friend to a beatdown was a little chicken sh*t to me.

@4: Nope, suspect is short Hispanic male. But don't let that interfere with your knee-jerk bigotry.

Why a publication would elide the race of a suspect, when the whole point of the story is a racial altercation, is really beyond me.

Yes 21 probably all fights at 2am on Sunday are gang related. Absolutely nothing to do with the bars just closing on Saturday night ....

@20

1-The suspects ethnicity is unconfirmed, only a rough estimate.

2- So, hispanics cannot be racist towards mixed race or nonhispanic people? Youre logic cabin is falling apart. Also, hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race. Nice try (actually terrible try, 10 year olds would know this).

3- So youre trolling here now? What made you switch handles?

@21

You must not have lived in Seattle long. 'Complete strangers' walk up and assault/harass people all the time. Especially at night, and especially in highly frequented areas, like Cap Hill and Pioneer Square.

Theres no evidence of any gang involvement. Are you just saying that because of the described ethnicity of the suspect and the race of the victim? Really?