Brody's Notes... Vigil To Be Held & Arrests In Beating Of Police Rookie In UK

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Oct 28 | The Gay Community of Liverpool, UK has announced that a vigil for Liverpool Police Rookie James Parkes will be held at 8pm on Stanley Street, where the attack took place, this coming Sunday, November 1st.
He was attacked at 10pm last Sunday while leaving the Superstar Boudoir with his partner and friends in the city's LGBT village.

Parkes, age 22, remains in critical condition in hospital. According to a spokesperson for the hospital, he is suffering from multiple fractures to his skull and cheekbone as well as some internal bruising.

In a statement released yesterday morning, his parents Ann and Ron Parkes, praised the Liverpool gay community and local police for their support. They said: 

"We can't believe the ignorance of the young people who carried out the attack on someone who was just out on a night out with friends and had done nothing wrong."

The Liverpool Police Department said that Parkes began working as a police community support officer in Liverpool two years ago and joined the force as an officer in May.

Spokesperson, DCI Tim Keelan said: 

"We are treating the assault as a homophobic hate crime and this incident shows there are still some people who have not learnt that crimes of this type are completely unacceptable. People who commit hate crimes can expect the full attention of the police and we will not rest until the offenders are brought to justice. The offenders will learn their lesson the hard way."

He added that patrols have been stepped up in the Stanley Street area, where the attack took place. 

James Parkes * Photo Courtesy of the City of Liverpool Police Department

According to a report from Britain's pinknews' Jessica Geen;

Six boys between the ages of 14 and 17 have been arrested for the attack on Liverpool trainee policeman James Parkes.

The 13-strong gang had reportedly been shouting homophobic abuse at them before Parkes was was attacked at around 10pm.

Four boys have been released on bail, while another two, both aged 15, were detained yesterday evening.

The attack comes two weeks after the death of Ian Baynham, a 62-year-old civil servant who suffered severe head injuries in a homophobic attack in Trafalgar Square in London four weeks ago. Baynham, from Beckenham, south-east London, was punched and kicked to the ground. His attackers also shouted homophobic abuse.

Detectives have arrested two teenage girls and an 18-year-old man in connection with his murder.