The New Year's Day stabbing of a gay woman in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood is not a hate crime, according to police sources.
Mayor Byron Brown confirmed that he heard the same thing during a recent briefing by police.
"They don't believe that this particular crime against Ms. Harmon was a hate crime," said Brown. "But certainly we want to reassure citizens throughout the community that we take all crime seriously."
Lindsay Harmon, 29, of Buffalo, was stabbed in the right eye and is partially blind.
She just finished celebrating the New Year at a popular lesbian bar on Main Street when she said a woman yelled gay slurs and attacked her at around 2:30 a.m.
Sources said there is no evidence that Harmon was attacked because she is gay and her sexual orientation does not appear to be the motive.
Two detectives are working on the case full-time and are being helped by agents with the FBI, police said.
Lindsay's father, Michael Harmon, said he is not concerned if the incident is ruled a hate crime or not, only that police make an arrest.
"I'm more worried about Lindsay getting well," Harmon said after speaking before a group of about 200 people who gathered for a rally in support of his daughter.
"I'll let the police do their job and I'll let the district attorney decide how he wants to classify it," he said.
Lindsay has regained some sight in her injured eye.
"Right now she can see three feet away from her face clearly. Anything farther than that it's just a total blur," Michael Harmon said.
She still has to endure several more painful surgeries to correct the damage, and even then may not regain all of her vision.
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