HORRIFIC

School Teacher Indicted on Hate Crime Charge for Assaulting Gay Men in D.C. Park

The feds say Michael Thomas Prude posed as a Park Police officer to harass and assault gay men.

A Maryland school teacher who allegedly posed as a Park Police officer to harass and assault gay men at a D.C. park has been indicted on hate crime charges, the Department of Justice announced Thursday. Michael Thomas Pruden, 48, faces five counts of assault on federal land, one count of impersonating a federal officer and a hate crimes sentencing enhancement that could make his sentencing more severe if convicted. The feds say he purposefully targeted Malcolm X Park, also known as Meridian Hill Park, because it’s known locally as a hookup spot for gay men. In five separate assaults between 2018 and 2021, Pruden allegedly shined a light in the men’s faces, gave them “police-style directives,” and sprayed the men with an unnamed “chemical irritant.” Pruden, who was reportedly an elementary school teacher in Prince George’s County, Maryland, was arrested in Virginia on Thursday.