Dallas man assaulted $ 200 transgender woman, police say



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The video "shocks the conscience," said Lt. Weddington. "This is taken very seriously in our department."

Before approaching the woman, we hear a voice on the video telling Mr. Thomas that he would receive $ 200 to hit her and that "the money was in his pocket," according to an affidavit police asking for a warrant for arrest.

Police said the victim, who uses the name Muhlaysia Booker, was hospitalized after suffering a concussion and a wrist fracture during the beating.

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Edward ThomasCreditDallas County Jail via Associated Press

The episode began Friday afternoon, when Ms. Booker, who was driving a S.U.V. black, backtracked in a car on the parking lot, according to the affidavit. The driver of the car said that he had tried to drive her under the S.U.V. off the road and fired a gun at Mrs. Booker after she tried to flee.

Mr. Thomas was part of a large crowd who had gathered in the parking lot, according to the affidavit. According to the police, the video shows the shadow of Mr. Thomas putting on gloves before hitting Mrs. Booker with her fists.

According to the police, people in the crowd shouted homophobic slurs during the beating.

On Sunday evening, Mr. Thomas reported an officer at a gas station about an unrelated case. The officer later admitted Mr. Thomas to the video, which led to his arrest.

Mr. Thomas admitted to being beaten, but denied "derogatory" remarks, according to the affidavit.

On Monday, Mr. Thomas was sentenced to a term of imprisonment on bail of $ 75,000. We did not know immediately if he had a lawyer.

According to rights groups, attacks against transgender people are increasing. In the United States, at least 26 transgender people were killed last year, most of them black transgender women, according to the report. Human Rights Campaign, a rights group.

In 2017, this number was 29, the highest number ever recorded, the group said.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said in a statement released after the attack that he was "extremely angry at what appears to be crowd violence against this woman."

"Those who did this do not represent what the Dallasians think of our flourishing L.G.B.T.Q. community, "he said," we will not defend this kind of behavior.

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