Keevn Clarence Otte, 23 of Cannon Falls, was charged with third degree assault last week after authorities say he tackled a man and hit him over the head with a beer mug because the victim was gay. The incident happened in Randolph, Minn.

According to WCCO:

The victim was observed talking about being gay, and one of the witnesses said it was “pretty clear” that Otte was uncomfortable with the conversation and did not like the fact that the victim was gay.

One of the witnesses said the next thing he knew, Otte tackled the victim. The victim was bloodied, received a cut on the forehead, and said he remembered a beer mug coming down on the side of his head.

According to the Pioneer Press, Otte said the gay man was taunting him and that he was simply defending himself:

Otte gave investigators a different version of events, saying the two men taunted him, told him he looked like a 12-year-old and asked him if he was gay. When he responded by saying, “No, I’m not a [fag],” one of the men made a sudden movement toward him, he said.

The charges state: “He felt that one of the men approached him quickly, and he reacted because he feared for his safety. He denied striking (the victim) with anything.”

http://www.towleroad.com/2010/05/man-charged-in-antigay-assault-in-minnesota.html