Georgetown Student Pleads Not Guilty in Hate Crime Beating|ABC 7 News

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Georgetown Student Pleads Not Guilty in Hate Crime Beating

posted 5:30 pm Fri September 28, 2007 - Washington

tags: arrest • student • hate crime • beating

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The Georgetown University student accused of beating a man in an attack the police labeled a possible hate crime pleaded not guilty Friday.

Nineteen-year-old Phillip Anderton Cooney was arrested in connection with the September 9th attack in the 1400 block of 36th Street Northwest. Cooney is accused of assaulting the victim while yelling homophobic slurs. The case was flagged as a potential hate crime based on the victim's sexual orientation, and members of the police department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit were assigned. The judge released Cooney on his own recognizance.

The victim suspected his attacker was a Georgetown student, so he scoured profiles and photos on the popular social networking site, Facebook. He said he found a profile that resembled his attacker, and police worked with university public safety officials to make the identification and arrest.

Cooney's friends told ABC 7/ NewsChannel 8 reporter Jennifer Donelan that they believe it's a case of mistaken identity.

Latest Comment on Georgetown Student Pleads Not Guilty in Hate Crime Beating

Xman

12:37 pm on 10/03/07

Based on this story, the subject and laws regarding ?Hate Crimes? needs to be reviewed and possibly thrown out. Charging, humiliating, and circulating pictures of Phillip, more than likely an innocent person, based on pictures of him in Facebook, is hateful in itself. Were there any witnesses? Is the accuser skewing and fabricating a ?hate story?? Is DC not a dangerous city where muggings are common? Are there not people who relish in ?hate story fabrication?? When the dust settles, I hope Phillip gets a good settlement out of this for his anguish. I agree with philly, soyousay, and etchAsketch.

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