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Iowa City, IA – October 30 – A UI student arrested early on Oct. 27 in connection with the assault of a gay man outside Studio 13 claimed injustice Sunday, accusing police of being uncooperative and refusing to listen to his side of the story. Police said Michael Murphy, 19, made "multiple, unprovoked, derogatory comments" about the accuser's sexual orientation and punched him in the face about 1:47 a.m. "He came up to the group and said, 'Fuck you fatty fag,' "the reported victim told The Daily Iowan. Murphy's accuser said he has performed at the bar as a drag queen. Upon the arrival of the police, the accuser said he had a bruise on his forehead and identified Murphy as his attacker, according to police reports. The man went to Mercy Hospital for treatment for the bump on his forehead and redness around his right ear, Iowa City police Sgt. Doug Hart said on Oct. 27. Murphy, a UI engineering major, now faces charges of assault in violation of individual rights - an aggravated misdemeanor commonly referred to as a "hate crime" - and public intoxication, a simple misdemeanor. An Iowa Courts online search revealed no previous charges against Murphy. "I feel so different now," the reported victim said Sunday. "I just kind of feel shut down. I come to [Studio 13] to be happy." Murphy was released from the Johnson County Jail on the morning of Oct. 27. He updated his Facebook status at 10:56 a.m. on that day to read, "Mike is thinking of a plan to bomb Studio 13." "A joke," Murphy said with a laugh on Sunday, insisting that he didn't dislike gay men. "That's kind of crazy," Studio 13 manager Matthew Dolter said. "[The incident] wasn't really related to the bar." According to Murphy, the night revolved around police who were not accommodating and made him - not the gay man - the victim of discrimination. "I felt just because I was in the minority in the group I was pointed out," he said. Murphy said he was walking alone by Studio 13, 13 S. Linn St., when a group of men made "unusual comments" to him, which he declined to elaborate. Numerous people also punched Murphy before they reported the incident to police, Murphy asserted. The reported victim said he did tell Murphy to leave the alley but denied starting the altercation. Murphy was outside the bar "saying he was sick and tired of living next to gays," the reported victim said, adding he told Murphy to "just walk away." At first, Murphy appeared to follow his advice, but he soon returned to the area and punched the man in the face once and in the back of the head "10 or 15 times," Murphy's accuser said. Murphy said that when police arrived, they didn't ask for his side of the story and didn't give him the option to press charges against the other men. Officers who are investigating the incident could not be reached for comment on Sunday. Dolter said he thought the incident was handled well by police. "I hope it never happens again," he said. Police typically see less than one hate crime per year in Iowa City, Hart said on Oct. 27. E-mail DI reporter Emileigh Barnes at: emily-a-barnes@uiowa.edu |