Teen arrested after threatening diner with machete during DC Pride

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after threatening to stab another man with a machete while making anti-gay slurs around the time the Pride Parade was going on in D.C.

The suspect who was arrested by D.C. police after threatening to stab another man with a machete while making anti-gay slurs. (Courtesy D.C. police)

The suspect, who is unidentified by police, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

D.C. police said around 3 p.m., the suspect approached a man walking to Shaw’s Tavern on Florida Avenue NW and began harassing him.

The suspect left the area while the man he was harassing stayed at Shaw’s to eat. The suspect then returned with a machete and allegedly told the man “I’ll silence you” while motioning at the foot-long knife.

He then began to stab cicadas and flick them at the man as he ate.

Police said they are investigating whether this incident was motivated by hate or bias.

WTOP’s Julie Gallagher contributed to this report. 

Zeke Hartner

Zeke Hartner is a digital writer/editor who has been with WTOP since 2017. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s Political Science program and an avid news junkie.

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