Man Arrested for Assaulting Gay Roommate

A resident of Myrtle Beach, S.C., was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree assault and kidnapping for beating his gay roommate and blocking him from leaving the apartment.

WMBF-TV reports that police responded around 11 p.m. to the incident involving Michael Shawn Miller, 46, and his unidentified gay roommate. The roommate said Miller, who had been drinking, punched him in the face repeatedly after he became upset because he thought the roommate was hitting on him. He also said that Miller used an antigay slur.

"According to the victim, he attempted to leave the apartment, but Miller physically blocked him from leaving. Miller allegedly passed out about two hours later, at which time the victim went to a friend's house and called the police," reports WMBF-TV.

Police reported that the victim had a severe cut on his forehead above his left eye, a bleeding left ear, and a swollen left side of his face. His clothes were covered in blood.

Miller was arrested and taken to the Myrtle Beach jail. Police are determining whether to investigate the assault as a hate crime. WMBF-TV reports that Miller pleaded guilty earlier this year to an assault in 2010, but no additional details were available.