The three individuals will face multiple assault charges and will be arrested by police, according to the district attorney’s office.
Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday it has approved the arrest warrants for three people in connection with a Sept. 11 anti-gay attack in the Center City neighborhood.
The district attorney said Philip Williams, 24, Kevin Harrigan, 26, and Katherine Knott, 24, will face charges for their alleged involvement in the attack that left a gay couple with multiple injuries. All three people are from Pennsylvania's Bucks County, according to the DA's office.
All three defendants will be charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person (REAP), and one count of criminal conspiracy, the DA's office said in a statement.
"I would like to thank the police for their thorough investigation and the public for the outpouring of information and tips in this case," said District Attorney Seth Williams in the statement. "This vicious attack shocked the entire country. An assault on people because of their sexual orientation has no place in Philadelphia."
Philadelphia Police Department spokeswoman Rhonda Bowens told BuzzFeed News that authorities will wait for the three to turn themselves in for arrest.
The DA's office has previously said that people charged in the attack will not face hate crime charges because of Pennsylvania's hate crimes law, which currently only calls for more severe charges for crimes motivated by the victim's religion, race, or ethnicity. State lawmakers are making an urgent push to amend the law to include LGBT protections after the attack.
The two victims in the attack were approached by a group of about 10–12 men and women around 10:45 on Sept. 11. Some in the group made anti-gay remarks and then held the victims down and punched them in the head, chest, and face before fleeing the scene with a victim's bag containing a wallet and credit cards, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. One of the victims — who both have remained anonymous — suffered a fractured jaw, which needed to be wired shut.