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First male same-sex couple married at West Point attacked in New York

Posted at 10:29 PM, Aug 04, 2015
and last updated 2015-08-05 00:08:16-04

NEW YORK — New York police are searching for a man who randomly attacked the first male same-sex couple to be married at the United States Military Academy at West Point, authorities said Tuesday.

Daniel Lennox-Choate and Larry Lennox-Choate, both former West Point cadets, were shopping at a small grocery store in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood Sunday afternoon when they found themselves the target of anti-gay obscenities, police said.

A man, believed to be in his 40s, had entered the store to buy beer, but then began making homophobic statements at the couple, leading to a verbal dispute, police said.

The man then struck Daniel in the face, causing minor injuries to his mouth. But he didn’t get away clean.

“Aside from one fat lip and a sore punching arm, we are fine,” Larry wrote on Facebook. “The guy who screamed anti-gay obscenities at us in a bodega before sucker-punching Danny? He left covered in his own blood with his tail between his legs after I handled the situation and tossed him in the street like the coward loser he is.”

“We refuse to be victims and are thankful we can defend ourselves,” Larry added, “but are saddened by the fact that idiots like this guy might not pick two guys who went through Plebe Boxing next time.”

The assailant eventually fled on a gray bicycle, police said.

The NYPD said it is investigating the incident as a “bias assault.” No arrests have yet been made.

Daniel Lennox-Choate graduated West Point in 2007, Larry graduated in 2009. They were married at the military academy’s Cadet Chapel in November 2013.