Gay Man Beaten To Death After Concert; Assailant Charged With Misdemeanor

Gospel music plays at the 24th annual Black Family Reunion, a celebration of African-American culture which takes place every year on the Mall. Tony Hunter came to last year's celebration. It was one of the last things he did. After he left the Mall, Hunter was assaulted outside of a popular gay bar in northwest Washington. He died 10 days later.

The man charged with killing him, 18-year-old Robert Hannah, says he was acting in self defense after Hunter groped him. A federal grand jury indicted Hannah on one count of simple assault, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The indictment outraged Washington's gay community, and at the Black Family Reunion celebration, Washington's NAACP president Lorraine Miller says justice isn't being served. "That's not fair," she said. "That's not equal justice. That's unfair."

Last week, D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson urged the U.S. Attorney's Office not to offer Hannah a plea deal and to take his case to trial.

David Schultz reports...