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Vandal sought for destroying Pride flag, harassing staff at Astoria pub with anti-gay rhetoric: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unity has joined the search for a vandal who was caught on camera shredding a Pride flag from Murphy’s Bar in Astoria and then allegedly harassing pub employees with anti-gay phone calls and messaging. Photo: NYPD and Google Maps

Oct. 2, 2024 By Bill Parry

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Unit has joined the search for a vandal who allegedly tore down a Pride flag at a popular Astoria sports bar and was caught on camera pulling out a knife and slicing it to pieces as he and a friend walked up 23rd Avenue.

The incident occurred in broad daylight during the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 6, when the suspect was inside Murphy’s Bar at 45-01 23rd Ave. just north of the Grand Central Parkway and Astoria Boulevard.

At 2:30 p.m., police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria reported that the vandal snatched an LGBTQIA+ flag that was hanging in the tavern and departed with another man, pulled the blade out of his sweatpants, and proceeded to shred the banner as they walked away.

There were no injuries during the incident, police said. Then, the harassment began. The suspect began calling, messaging, and threatening workers at Murphy’s Bar using anti-gay slurs.

The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit, which released video surveillance of the suspect on Tuesday. He has a light complexion with dark hair and a thin build. He wore baggy pink sweatpants, a black t-shirt, and white sneakers.

Anyone with information regarding this aggravated harassment investigation is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

Through Sept. 29, the 114th Precinct has reported eleven hate crimes so far in 2024, five fewer than the sixteen reported at the same point last year, a decline of 31.2%, according to the most recent CompStat report.