Man tells FOX 7 he was also assaulted in the entertainment district, filed police report this week

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - "I heard someone walk up to me and say 'hey fag' and as I turned around he punched me in the face or the head. I immediately blacked out."

A man, who would like to remain anonymous says this interaction has shaken him to his core.

He says, "It caught me off guard completely. I fell to the ground. Hit my face on the ground."

On December 29th 2018, he was outside Rain on 4th when he was punched, leaving him blacked out for minutes, bruising his face, and leaving him with a black eye.

His Lyft driver asked if he want to go to the hospital, and he declined.

He says he wanted to go home, where he felt safe, and he didn't go to police until he heard about Tristan Perry and Spencer Deehring. They were beaten by a group of people outside Rain on 4th and had to be rushed to the hospital this past weekend.

"I just filed a report today. The only reason I did it was because I saw this happen again. I thought maybe this was a homeless problem. So I heard this happened again and it's basically the same scenario, except this time it was two people,” the anonymous man says.

"What was my reaction to that? Honestly it made me sick to my stomach. The whole incident in general just threw me for a loop. I would have never thought this is the same place I grew up."

Emilie Kopp is a board member of Equality Texas, the largest non-profit that advocates for LGBTQ rights in the state. She and her wife have lived in Austin for years, and says hateful rhetoric is something way too common right now and needs to change.

"Sadly this is something my wife and I have felt as well. Walking in that area we had our safety feel like it was in question. We weren't physically attacked but we were verbally attacked. I want everyone in this city to feel safe. I think we're all shocked that this is happening. Right here in our hometown, a place that embodies inclusivity, welcoming and diversity so I can understand why it can take some time to process. We live here because it's a city of inclusion, diversity and a city that welcomes people. We have to come together and make sure this type of heinous crime isn't tolerated. My heart breaks for them, nobody deserves that."

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