Gay Man Says He Was Attacked by D.C. Shake Shack Employees After Kissing Partner

Police in Washington, D.C., are investigating a potential hate crime after a gay man said he was assaulted by a Shake Shack employee.

A video of the incident, published by NBC Washington, appears to show Shake Shack employees attacking the victim outside the restaurant. 

The reported victim, Christian Dingus, told NBC that he had been waiting for his food, which he said was taking longer than usual, when he asked an employee about the extended wait. Dingus reportedly said the employee responded aggressively.

Dingus then told the outlet that his boyfriend came over and kissed him, at which point, another employee allegedly told him, “Hey, you guys can’t do that here.”

Dingus said he and his partner were then escorted outside and confronted by the employee after the partner, who was not identified, voiced his disapproval at what the employee had said. 

The employee allegedly then started attacking Dingus, Dingus claimed, further telling the outlet he believed he was assaulted because of his sexual orientation. 

“If we were a straight couple, we probably wouldn’t have been broken up for kissing in the back of the restaurant,” he told the outlet. 

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D.C. Metropolitan Police said in an incident report obtained by PEOPLE that the incident is a suspected “anti-gay” attack. The report noted that the unnamed suspect said he was acting in self-defense.

Dingus, who is named in the report, suffered minor injuries and was treated on scene. No one has been arrested.

“We are aware of the incident on Saturday, Aug. 17 involving team members and a guest at our Dupont Circle location and are taking it very seriously,” Shake Shack said in a statement to PEOPLE. “At Shake Shack, the safety and well-being of our guests and team members are our top priorities, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of violence. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation and have suspended the team members involved pending further review. We are committed to taking the appropriate actions based on the findings.”