Seven Salisbury University students were arrested and charged with assault and associated hate crimes for an alleged attack on a man Oct. 15.
Salisbury Police said in a news release Tuesday that the alleged crimes took place in an off-campus apartment complex in the 1400 block of University Terrace, where the victim was invited by the suspects between the ages of 18 and 20 under “false pretenses.” When the victim entered the residence, he was allegedly surrounded, forced into a chair and assaulted for “several minutes,” leading to a broken rib, police said.
“The investigation revealed that the victim was targeted due to his sexual preferences,” police said.
The students allegedly kicked, punched and spat on the victim while calling him “derogatory names” and throwing him to the floor when he attempted to leave police said. The victim sought medical help after the incident, police said.
The seven students have been charged with first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment, and the associated hate crime charges, police said. They were processed and sent to the Wicomico County Detention Center to be seen by a district court commission, police said.
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