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WATCH: Atlanta Man Turns Himself in After Antigay Assault

WATCH: Atlanta Man Turns Himself in After Antigay Assault

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The attack, which involved antigay slurs, was captured by multiple cameras.

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A Georgia man has turned himself in for an antigay assault.

Michael Sanders went to police Wednesday after physically and verbally attacking a bicyclist on the Atlanta Beltline, which was witnessed and recorded by multiple sources.

Sanders, who had been jogging shirtless near the busy thoroughfare, began shouting antigay slurs at the 24-year-old bike rider, Quinn Chrzan, and punching him repeatedly, according to Chrzan, who says it was unprovoked.

"Right when I was about to pass him, he just stopped and he looked at me and called me a faggot," Chrzan told WSB, an Atlanta TV station. "I had no idea what I did to set him off."

"I was pinned against the wall and my hand was sliced up so, there was nothing I could do," he added. "He just punched me in the face."

The incident was captured by multiple cameras, including the Atlanta Police Department's Video Integration Center, as well as the cell phone of the victim, who had begun recording Sanders after he began his verbal onslaught.

Chrzan, who is not gay, says he took offense at the slurs and admonished his attacker for his use of them.

"[Sanders] kept calling me homophobic slurs and all I said to him was, 'Please don't use homophobic slurs,'" Chrzan said.

Sanders began jogging away after this statement but then circled back moments later for a second round of attacks.

After being charged with battery, Sanders was released Thursday on $5,000 bond. The LGBT division of the Atlanta Police Department is investigating whether the incident may be a hate crime. Federal hate-crimes law covers crimes based on actual or perceived sexual orientation.

Watch a video report on the attack below.

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Daniel Reynolds

Daniel Reynolds is the editor of social media for The Advocate. A native of New Jersey, he writes about entertainment, health, and politics.
Daniel Reynolds is the editor of social media for The Advocate. A native of New Jersey, he writes about entertainment, health, and politics.