Naval Academy graduate charged with hate crime for tearing down LGBTQ+ pride flag

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Police say a U.S. Naval Academy graduate has been charged with a hate crime after a tattoo shop told authorities its LGBTQ+ pride flag had been ripped down and put in the trash. Police wrote in charging documents that the suspect is a Dallas resident who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated from the academy, The Baltimore Sun reported. According to a Marine Corps spokesperson, he served from 2004 to 2013. A spokesperson for the Naval Academy said hel was a member of the Class of 2004. Closed-circuit video footage showed a man in a black puffer-style vest walking toward the store at approximately 1 a.m. Friday.