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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is offering a reward for more information about a group of five to seven men accused of hurling homophobic slurs at two gay men before allegedly assaulting an ice cream shop worker who intervened.
The business group on Tuesday said it is offering $5,000 for new details that lead to prosecution in the case.
Salt Lake police detective Greg Wilking said police are investigating the report of the assault on the ice cream shop employee. Because there is no surveillance video, Wilking said "we're at a standstill."
According to Wilking, the pair was leaving the Utah Pride Festival about 10:30 p.m. Saturday and sought refuge inside Doki Doki, 249 E. 400 South, when reports indicate they felt threatened by the group.
An employee tried to block the group from coming in the door after the two men entered, but they allegedly assaulted him at the entry before leaving, Wilking said.
The employee did not have any visible injuries or require immediate medical attention, said Salt Lake City Police Lt. Victor Siebeneck. The group of five to seven men who reportedly made the slurs as well as the two men who were the alleged targets left before police arrived, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Salt Lake police at 801-799-3000.
Equality Utah praised the courage of the shop worker. Troy Williams, the group's executive director, said the report shows that some people in Utah continue to target others for who they are, demonstrating the need for stronger legal protections in Utah.
"This kind of violence and hate seems inconceivable in 2018," Williams said in a statement.
