One of the men whom Shia LaBeouf allegedly battered and insulted with a homophobic slur on Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans on Tuesday, leading to his arrest, would like to see the actor face hate crime charges.
Jeffrey Damnit, who dresses in drag and was in makeup at the time of the encounter with LaBeouf, said on Thursday that the behaviour attributed to the Transformers film franchise star was “a complete slap in the face to any alternative-culture person”.
He said that he hoped prosecutors in Louisiana’s most famous city would pursue charges under a state hate crimes law, which allows for enhanced penalties against anyone who is found to have victimized another person on the “actual or perceived” basis of sex or gender, among other categories.
Damnit says due to his fame, if LaBeouf gets away without serious consequence, anyone who looks up to him or even just knows of him will think it is OK to do the same.
Two days after LaBeouf was ordered released from authorities’ custody without needing to post bond.
Source: The Guardian
