‘I’m terrified to go downtown again Halifax’: woman recovering after altercation with group of men who allegedly made homophobic slurs
A birthday celebration turned into a nightmare for a same-sex couple in downtown Halifax on Saturday after they got into a violent altercation with a group of men.
“A group of men walking on the other direction made a comment to me,” said Emma MacLean. “My girlfriend, Tori, said ‘hey that’s my girlfriend.’”
MacLean said this provoked the group, which led to them taunting her girlfriend and making homophobic slurs. “They continued walking and then Tori followed them to basically verbally say ‘that is not okay.’”
However, from there she said it escalated.
“I see Tori being pushed on the stairs right in front of the BMO centre and they are cement stairs and she’s on her back. That’s when all the men start punching and kicking her,” said MacLean.
MacLean said she shouted for them to stop but they ignored her, which is when she got involved.
“The fight or flight came in. I jumped on one of their backs and put him in a chokehold basically trying to restrain him,” she said.
Police patrolling the area were alerted by a bystander. However, by that time the altercation had ended.
MacLean said officers then approached her and her girlfriend and told them that they did speak with someone involved in the incident.
The injuries to MacLean's girlfriend Tori's face after the alleged attack. (Facebook/Emma MacLean)“The officer said that one person stuck around to give their ID and claimed that we attacked them. He said the other people were not cooperative in giving their identification.”
MacLean said they both suffered injuries. Her girlfriend has bruises on her arm and under her eye. As for MacLean, she also has a bruise under her eye, a chipped tooth, and a broken nose.
The injuries to Emma's face after the alleged attack. (Facebook/Emma MacLean) “I felt punches and kicks and then I felt it on my nose and there was blood. I just thought this needs to stop now,” said MacLean. “I went to emerge the night of and they basically said it was too swollen for surgery.”
Even now, despite it being days since the incident happened, MacLean still feels shaken.
“I’m terrified to go downtown again in Halifax. I just feel like it’s so out of your control on what could happen,” said MacLean. “It’s overwhelming. I didn’t expect something like this to happen, especially with it happening during pride month as well.”
Police told CTV News the incident is under investigation and no charges have been laid at this time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Day is forecast to be rainy for many this year. Here's a look at weather and fireworks celebrations
Canada turns 157 years old this year, and several fireworks shows across the country are expected to paint the night skies in celebration. Here's a look at the forecast and fireworks celebrations across the country for Canada Day in 2024.
Gathered at Camp David, Biden's family tells him to stay in the race and keep fighting
U.S. President Joe Biden's family used a Sunday gathering at Camp David to urge him to stay in the race and keep fighting despite his dreadful debate performance.
B.C.'s Michael J. Fox joins Coldplay on stage at Glastonbury Festival
A crowd of around 100,000 people were treated to a surprise appearance from a B.C. star during Coldplay’s set at Glastonbury Festival in England this weekend.
Are you proud to be Canadian? Poll suggests that feeling is dwindling
A new poll suggests the vast majority of Canadians are proud of their home and native land, but our sense of national pride is lower than it was a few years ago.
WestJet calls on feds for ‘urgent clarity’ around strike after 800 flights cancelled
A strike by WestJet plane mechanics forced the airline to cancel hundreds more flights on Sunday, upending the plans of roughly 110,000 travellers over the Canada Day long weekend and prompting the carrier to demand action from the federal government.
Neighbour on the hook for $3,675 in damages due to ‘nuisance cedar’: B.C. tribunal
A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.
A study identified 6 types of depression. Here’s why that matters
Scientists may be a step closer to that reality, thanks to new research that has identified six subtypes — or 'biotypes' — of major depression via brain imaging combined with machine learning.
Russian state media claim Kanye West is visiting Moscow
Unconfirmed reports say American rapper and producer Kanye West is visiting Moscow. If true, it would make West the first major American celebrity to visit Moscow since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
RCMP says a police chase involving an RV in Lloydminster has resulted in multiple injuries
Several people were injured Saturday night after a man allegedly stole an occupied RV during a police chase at a campground in Lloydminster.