Police arrest man in alleged antigay hate crime during D.C. Black Pride

Police arrested 32-year-old Delonte Fraley after reports of threats at Ben’s Next Door on U Street around 4:20 p.m. Sunday. Officers said the confrontation began when an employee told a bartender not to serve Fraley alcohol. Investigators allege Fraley overheard the exchange, directed antigay slurs at the employee, and threatened to shoot them. The incident occurred during D.C. Black Pride weekend, when thousands of Black LGBTQ+ people gather in the city. Court documents allege the harassment continued beyond the initial confrontation, including targeting the employee with homophobic slurs the previous day. Police said Fraley became irate after being told he could not remain inside and referenced the employee’s Tesla while making threats.

"Police say a man stood outside a popular restaurant and threatened to shoot an employee after allegedly hurling homophobic slurs at them. The incident, now being investigated as a possible , unfolded Sunday at Ben's Next Door, a Black-owned restaurant and bar long woven into the cultural life of the historic U Street neighborhood. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, officers arrested 32-year-old Delonte Fraley after responding to reports of threats at the restaurant around 4:20 p.m. Sunday."

"Police officials said in a statement that the confrontation began after an employee instructed a bartender not to serve Fraley alcohol. Investigators allege that Fraley overheard the exchange, directed antigay slurs at the employee, and threatened to shoot them. The incident happened during one of the most visible LGBTQ+ weekends in the nation's capital. D.C. Black Pride, founded in 1991, annually draws thousands of Black LGBTQ+ people to the city for parties, advocacy events, and community gatherings."

"Court documents, first by the Washington Blade, allege that the harassment extended beyond a single confrontation. The employee told investigators the suspect had also targeted them with homophobic slurs the previous day. According to the affidavit, Fraley allegedly became "irate" after being told he could not remain inside the establishment and later referenced the employee's Tesla while making threats."

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