May 11, 2011
Wilton Manors Man Alleges Gay Bashing
Steve Weinstein READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Michael Kraemer, 27, of Wilton Manors alleges he was the victim of a gay bashing after being chased and attacked several times in the early hours of Sunday, May 8.
The chase started after Kraemer was almost hit by a man driving a white Cadillac while crossing N.E. 26th Street. Kraemer admitted he yelled at the driver, but never imagined the man would get out of his car and chase him. He took refuge inside 7-Eleven until the man left, then headed toward Wilton Drive where the man found and chased him again.
"I called the police and told them someone was chasing me and threatening my life," he told SFGN. "He appeared to have a knife."
The man eventually ran away and Kraemer sought refuge at Matty's on the Drive, which he thought would be a safe haven.
The assailant however showed again and attacked Kraemer, punching him several times before fleeing the scene. Instead of waiting for police Kraemer decided to go to the Manor to meet a friend.
"All of a sudden I look to my left and there is the same guy. He attacked me again," he said. "He hit me in the nose, side of the face. There was blood everywhere. I didn't know what happened to me."
Kraemer said he believes he was the victim of gay bashing.
"If it was a mugging he would have felt around in my pockets or something. Nothing was taken," he said.
According to the police report bystanders confirmed there was a white Cadillac driving around recklessly. Someone anonymously reported a license plate number the next day, but the tag belongs to a Black Honda.
Although the police report raises doubts about Kraemer's story.
"Every time I asked a question of asked him to clarify a point in his story Kraemer became hostile. He either did not answer my question or questioned my motives for questioning him. It appeared to me that Kraemer was not telling me the true [sic] or was withholding information about this incident and did not want to cooperate with the investigation," the police report states.
The assailant is still at large.
Steve Weinstein has been a regular correspondent for the International Herald Tribune, the Advocate, the Village Voice and Out. He has been covering the AIDS crisis since the early '80s, when he began his career. He is the author of "The Q Guide to Fire Island" (Alyson, 2007).
