Mayor Bloomberg And NYPD Chief Hold Joint Press Conference On Hate Crimes

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Chief Ray Kelly last night held a joint press conference on the wave of violent anti-gay hate crimes sweeping New York City. From the mayor's remarks:

"Last Friday, the murder of a young man named Mark Carson shocked our city. He was murdered because of his sexual orientation - and only because of his sexual orientation. It was a cold-blooded hate crime that cut short a life full of promise - and brought back awful memories for people who were once afraid to walk down the street with the person that they loved. No person - regardless of what they look like or who they love - should ever walk down the street in fear. Thankfully, we have come a long way from those days - but the murder of Mark Carson is a tragic reminder of how far we still have to go."

Kelly then provided numerous details about the assault in the East Village. The suspect has since been arrested.