3 to Surrender in Attack on Gay Couple in Center City Philadelphia

WPVI
September 23, 2014

http://6abc.com/news/3-to-be-charged-in-attack-on-gay-couple-in-center-city/320968/

Three people have been charged in an attack on a gay couple in Center City Philadelphia.

The accused are Philip Williams, 24, Kevin Harrigan, 26, and Katherine Knott, 24, all of Bucks County, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

Arrest warrants have been approved for the three suspects. The suspects are expected to surrender at some point on Wednesday.

Police say there were 10 to 12 suspects in that attack, but in the end, only three were charged. Investigators say the reasons will come out in court.

Each is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal conspiracy.

However, as previously reported, the suspects cannot be charged with a hate crime under Pennsylvania law. Earlier Tuesday, gay rights supporters turned out in force in Harrisburg to push for a major change in Pennsylvania's hate crime law.

"Three people's lives are about to change drastically and the victims are asking that everybody just keep their language respectful and not hateful," the victims' friend Caryn Kunkle.

Kunkle says before the charges the victims spent more time Tuesday with Central Detectives and prosecutors.

"It's very emotionally taxing on them. They're still reliving it all. It's tough," Kunkle said.

Because of the large group of potential suspects who were out on the town, police say the investigation took time.

Once the DA approved charges, arrangements were made for the suspects to turn themselves in.

On Tuesday night, Action News asked Lt. John Stanford why police didn't arrest the suspects immediately.

"Well, it's a situation of which the attorneys made communication with us to bring the clients from the first place, as a courtesy, Central Detectives have reached out to the attorneys making it an easy process for them to come in as opposed to using additional resources," Stanford said.

Action News has confirmed suspect Kathryn Knott is the daughter of Chalfont, Bucks County Police Chief Karl Knott.

At their Southampton home, no one answered but when we asked several neighbors about the charges against Knott, off camera, they would only say they're not surprised.

The incident unfolded at 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 11th.

Investigators say the victims, a 28-year-old man and a 27-year-old man, were in the 1600 block of Chancellor Street when police say they were approached by a group of 'unknown males and females.'

The group of 10-12 people approached and, according to police, 'made disparaging remarks about their sexual orientation.'

That led to an attack, police say, with some of the suspects holding the victims while others punched them.

"This vicious attack shocked the entire country. An assault on people because of their sexual orientation has no place in Philadelphia," DA Seth Williams said in a statement.

The two victims suffered serious facial injuries. They claim they were targeted for being homosexual and savagely beaten.

Persons of interest being interviewed by police last week claimed it was a mutual fight, sources told Action News.

Also last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia released a statement acknowledging that several former students of the Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, many 2007 graduates, are suspected in the attack.

One of the persons of interest questioned was an assistant basketball coach at Archbishop Wood High School. He resigned because of his alleged involvement, but he is not one of the three involved in the crime.