DETROIT – Police are investigating a possible hate crime after a video posted to twitter caused public outrage.
The video shows a man callously pointing a gun at a man he believes is gay outside of a liquor store. The man with the gun shouts insults and homophobic slurs.
The post went viral with thousands sharing the twitter post.
The video was posted from the twitter account @BINSWANSON at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
The clip was shot at the Brightmoor Liquor store on Detroit’s west side.
“It’s very troubling that anybody that would be that brazen to think that they could just point a gun at an average citizen and then post it up on social media as though nothing would ever happen,” DPD Sgt. Michael Woody said.
Police believe the man with the twitter handle was the man who filmed and posted the video. His social media account is littered with pictures of guns and drugs.
Detroit police are investigating the video as a possible hate crime regardless of whether the victim identifies as gay or straight.
“The level of intolerance he displayed on his social media site when he posted the video does meet some of the elements of a hate crime,” Woody said.
The investigation comes one day after the announcement of a new task force to investigate crimes against the LGBT community.
The police are asking the victim to come forward.
LGBT Detroit release the following statement:
"LGBT Detroit is horrified at the viral video footage of an innocent man being violently threatened. This attempt to cause harm brings terror to those who live and love our city. We encourage residents to stand against violence and encourage law enforcement to remove those who cause us emotional and physical harm."