Suspect Says Hammer Beating Came in Reaction to Being Called Gay

New York media report that a man who is accused of viciously beating a tourist with a hammer in a park outside City Hall last month was reacting to being called gay.

At least, Douglas Epp told police in new court documents, according to WCBS News, that he "snapped."

"They called me 'gay' and a 'Nazi,'" Epp told police, according to court documents reported on by theNew York Daily News. "Something inside me snapped and I grabbed the hammer and attacked the male. This is not my demeanor. I am ashamed that this altercation occurred. This was clearly not the correct reaction."

The Associated Press says Epp claimed to have overheard the comments, saw a hammer nearby, and then bashed the man in the head about 10 times before being stopped by passersby.