Hate Crime Or Assault?

Danny Hawkins says he was beat up this weekend because he’s gay, but the Spokane Police say the fight he was involved in was nothing more than a drunken brawl.The incident comes down to the fact that the police department says Hawkins, who’s alleging the incident was a hate crime, never told them that night that he was beat up because he was gay.However at a press conference the following day he told a different story.”When I said that I wanted to report it as a hate crime, (the officer) shrugged it off and said, ‘You started it.’” With his black eye still swollen, Hawkins said at a press conference Saturday he was beat up for being gay/ Colleen O’Brien , KXLY. More here.

Question: What do you think — hate crime or assault?