Police are investigating a possible hate crime after a man reported being attacked by a group of three men on the street in Provincetown early Monday morning, according to the town’s police department.
The victim told police he was walking on the east end of Bradford Street sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. when three men jumped out of a vehicle and attacked him, Provincetown police said in a press release. He was evaluated by paramedics while speaking with police and did not require hospitalization.
“The Provincetown Police Department is taking this report very seriously and has detectives actively investigating the incident,” the department wrote in the release. ” … All Provincetown Police Officers have been alerted to this incident and will continue working hard to stay vigilant and keep everyone safe.”
The victim identified himself as Chris Kostka in a video posted to social media. He was walking back from a friend’s house when a car pulled up next to him, he said in the video.
“Three guys got out and just started beating me,” he said.
In the video, Kostka repeatedly says he’s fine, but a cut and large bruise can be seen below his right eye.
“Whenever anyone says being gay is a choice, like, yeah. I chose this,” he said in the video sarcastically, pointing to his face.
Provincetown is known for having a large LGBTQ+ population. The attack is alleged to have happened on the last day of Pride month.
“Everyone always stay vigilant. You never know what can happen, no matter where you are. Like, I’m in P-town, and this happened,” he says in the video.
Kostka is a manager at dbar — a popular club in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, according to his Instagram account.
Provincetown police encourage anyone with information about the incident to contact Det. Sgt. Jennifer Nolette at 508-487-1212 or jnolette@provincetown-ma.gov.
“As a reminder, if you see any suspicious or potentially dangerous activity in our community, please report it immediately to the Police Department by calling 9-1-1,” the department wrote.
