Four Arrested in Attack after Flagstaff Pride

FLAGSTAFF (Observer Update) - Four men have been arrested in connection with an apparent anti-Gay attack early Sunday (June 22) in Flagstaff, sending two victims to the hospital, the Arizona Republic reported on advocate.com.

The victims were in a crowd waiting for cabs on a street corner after the weekend's Pride in the Pines celebrations when a group of men shouting anti-Gay slurs attacked about 2:45 a.m. The most severely injured man, Michael Brown, was knocked unconscious when a punch from an attacker sent him to the pavement, said Sam Holdren, public affairs director of Equality Arizona and Brown's good friend. Holdren said he did not witness the attack, but was close by. Brown, who sustained a deep facial cut, was hospitalized overnight for observation and released Monday morning (June 23), Holdren told Gay.com.

Other Equality Arizona staff and volunteers saw the attack and helped police identify suspects, who had emerged from a nearby restaurant, Holdren said. Several other Pride-goers were punched and shoved, he said. Police found and arrested four men in the area on charges including assault, aggravated assault and disorderly conduct. They also could be charged with hate crimes, police told the Republic. The suspects are Travis Reiner, 24, of Flagstaff; Christopher Rose, 26, of Englewood, Colo.; Michael Van Roteyn, 24, of Flagstaff; and Mark Greinke, 25, of Sun City, the Republic reported.

Barbara McCullough-Jones, Equality Arizona's executive director, issued the following statement Monday (June 23): "The news of this attack is deeply disturbing. On a day when all of Flagstaff should have been celebrating and embracing diversity, this brutal attack has reminded us all that there is still much work to be done to prevent anti-Gay bias from escalating into violence."