Anti-gay slurs on Twitter account of young woman accused in beating of two gay men

While the three suspects in the assault of a gay couple in Center City were awaiting arraignment Wednesday, an affidavit revealing new details about the incident emerged, as did social-media postings by one of the accused that contain antigay sentiments.

According to an affidavit of probable cause reviewed by The Inquirer, the victims identified all three suspects - Philip Williams, 24, of Warminster; Kevin Harrigan, 26, of Warrington; and Kathryn Knott, 24, of Southampton - as their assailants.

Another witness also identified Knott as striking one of the victims, according to the affidavit.

The three were charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy, and related offenses, and were awaiting arraignment Wednesday night.

Around 10:45 p.m. Sept. 11, the couple - who friends have said were walking home from an evening out with the mother of one - encountered a group of about 15 near Rittenhouse Square. The couple and the group exchanged words, the document said, and Harrigan then called the couple by an antigay slur several times.

According to the affidavit, the argument became "heated," resulting in an altercation. Williams, the document said, punched one of the men in the face several times, knocking him to the ground. Then the man's boyfriend approached Williams, and Williams punched him in the face, also knocking him to the ground, the document said.

Both victims identified Knott through photo arrays and surveillance footage. They told police she had screamed antigay slurs at them, and one of the victims told police she had struck him in the face. Another witness told police Knott struck one of the victims, according to the document.

The document also provides a more detailed account of the injuries the victims suffered.

One of the men, according to the affidavit, was treated at Hahnemann University Hospital for a broken orbital bone, a broken jaw, and "a deep laceration that required 24 stitches to close."

The other man sustained facial injuries that did not require hospitalization. A friend of the couple has said he also sustained a facial fracture.

Attorneys for Knott and Williams have characterized the incident as a mutual fight. Knott's lawyer, Louis Busico, has said she did not strike anyone or use any slurs.

"She was merely present while other people got into a fight," he said.

Williams' lawyer, Fortunato N. Perri, said his client was not initially involved in the altercation. He said Williams became involved only after one of the "purported victims" struck one of the women in the group - not Knott - in the face. He said his client has never been in trouble with police.

An attorney for Harrigan could not be reached.

In the days after the incident, a slew of local and state leaders began calling for amendments to the state hate-crimes law - which does not include crimes motivated by sexual orientation.

On Thursday, a rally will be held at 2 p.m. in LOVE Park to call for the hate-crimes law to be expanded. It is expected to draw more than a dozen local officials, including City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, District Attorney Seth Williams, and State Sen. Larry Farnese (D., Phila.).

Farnese is sponsoring legislation to change the law.

Also on Thursday, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and Councilman James Kenney plan to introduce legislation that would expand the hate-crimes section of the city code. If approved, the ordinance would mandate higher penalties for any crime motivated by hatred of a person's "perceived sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, or disability." A hate-crime violation, according to the proposal, could result in 90 days in jail and a fine of $2,000.

Meanwhile, a Twitter account belonging to Knott garnered attention after her arrest Wednesday. The account included several antigay and racially charged tweets.

The tweets were posted on the account @kathryn_knott in 2012 and 2013. Knott is the daughter of Chalfont Police Chief Karl Knott. He did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

One, posted March 18, 2012, reads, "the ppl we were just dancing with just turned and mafe out with eatch other #gay #ew."

Another, posted Aug. 29, 2013, reads, "he's gonna rip me today for my hair..just wait. #dyke."

Knott, who attended La Salle University and Archbishop Wood High School, was attending a birthday party with others in the group on the night of the assault.

Her Twitter account also includes several racially charged tweets, one referencing a cabdriver "shouting some jihad s---" and another showing a photo of what the tweet termed "Locals taking pictures of dead animals .... normal ghetto activity #onlyinolney."

In another, from March 2012, the account posted a tweet asking: "Why do Asians always put their kids on a leash?"

A 2012 post referenced the perks of having a father in law enforcement.

"A guy ran me off the road, called my dad ran his license, and got him ticket #sorrynotsorry #lovemydad."

Other tweets describe working in an emergency room. One complains about patients injured in a car wreck who cannot speak English. Other posts include tweets of X-rays of unusual injuries and a photo of a patient's severed fingers in a plastic bag.

The hospital, Abington Health Lansdale, said in a statement provided to 6ABC that Knott had been employed there since 2011 as an emergency room tech and that she had been suspended "because of the nature of the charges against her."

Regarding her Twitter account, the hospital said it was looking into "potential violations of patient privacy and our organization's social media policy."

Busico said that although he had not reviewed the account in full, he could "fully understand, respect and appreciate how some individuals would be offended by this kind of language. It's immature, insensitive, inappropriate, and offensive."

"However," he said, "I would ask that people also consider that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to survive this level of scrutiny for each and every word, phrase, and sentence they had uttered."

215-854-2961 @aubreyjwhelan