3 charged in attack on gay couple in Center City Philadelphia surrender to police

All three people charged in an attack on a gay couple in Center City Philadelphia surrendered to police on Wednesday.

Kevin J. Harrigan, 26, from the 1000 block of Gotland Circle in Warrington, Pa., is charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

Kathryn G. Knott, 24, of the 1200 block of Melody Lane in Southampton, Pa., is charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

Phillip Williams, 24, of the 100 block of Acorn Drive in Warminster, Pa., is charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

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They were charged in connection with the September 11th attack on two gay men in the 1600 block of Chancellor Street.

Williams' attorney Fortunato Perri Jr. said Wednesday after Williams surrendered to police that the case was not related to anyone's sexual orientation, but was instead a "mutual confrontation" in which his client "was not the aggressor."

Knott's attorney, Louis Busico, has also denied that the dispute was motivated by anti-gay bias and said his client, whose family has a law enforcement background, neither threw any punches nor hurled any insults.

"She played no role in this other than going out to dinner with friends the night this happened," Busico said outside Central Detectives on Wednesday. "We don't deny that there was a gentleman who was assaulted. We don't deny that this gentleman was injured. But I unequivocally deny that my client did anything to hurt this man; she wouldn't hurt anybody."

Police say there were originally 10 to 12 suspects in the attack but, in the end, only three have been charged.

Investigators say the reason the other suspects have not been charged will come out in court.

Action News has confirmed suspect Kathryn Knott is the daughter of Chalfont, Bucks County Police Chief Karl Knott.

At their Southampton home, no one answered on Tuesday night. But, when we asked several neighbors about the charges against Knott, off camera, they would only say they're not surprised.

As previously reported, none of the suspects can be charged with a hate crime under Pennsylvania law.

On Tuesday, gay rights supporters turned out in force in Harrisburg to push for a change in Pennsylvania's hate crime law.

"Three people's lives are about to change drastically and the victims are asking that everybody just keep their language respectful and not hateful," the victims' friend Caryn Kunkle.

Kunkle says before the charges the victims spent more time Tuesday with Central Detectives and prosecutors.

"It's very emotionally taxing on them. They're still reliving it all. It's tough," Kunkle said.

Because of the large group of potential suspects who were out on the town, police say the investigation took time.

On Tuesday night, Action News asked Lt. John Stanford why police didn't arrest the suspects immediately.

"Well, it's a situation of which the attorneys made communication with us to bring the clients from the first place, as a courtesy, Central Detectives have reached out to the attorneys making it an easy process for them to come in as opposed to using additional resources," Stanford said.

The incident unfolded at 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 11th.

Investigators say the victims, a 28-year-old man and a 27-year-old man, were in the 1600 block of Chancellor Street when police say they were approached by a group of 'unknown males and females.'

The group of 10 to 12 people approached and, according to police, 'made disparaging remarks about their sexual orientation.'

That led to an attack, police say, with some of the suspects holding the victims while others punched them.

"This vicious attack shocked the entire country. An assault on people because of their sexual orientation has no place in Philadelphia," DA Seth Williams said in a statement.

The two victims suffered serious facial injuries. They claim they were targeted for being homosexual and savagely beaten.

Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia released a statement acknowledging that several former students of the Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, many 2007 graduates, are suspected in the attack.

One of the persons of interest questioned last week was an assistant basketball coach at Archbishop Wood High School. He resigned because of his alleged involvement, but he is not one of the three involved in the crime.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.