After Brutal Beating of Gay Man in Miss., Suspect Outs Himself

Whatever the cause, no one is disputing how savagely Devin Norman was beaten.

BY  Neal Broverman

March 24 2015 6:15 PM ET 

An alleged antigay hate crime in Mississippi may turn out to be something else entirely now that the suspect has come out in an interview.
James Scott admits he attacked Devin Norman in the parking lot of a Corinth Walmart Friday; Norman was kicked in the head several times and suffered scars and broken bones. Scott says he didn't attack Norman because Norman is gay; instead he claims he and the victim were sending photos to each other and Norman threatened to post them on Facebook.
Scott told TV station WREG he was a closeted bisexual man and feared being outed by Norman.
"I cannot see how it could be a hate crime," Scott told WREG. "I don’t even have an emotional hatred for him. The only thing I dislike about it was that he took something from me... They’re trying to make it seem that I was screaming [faggot] which was not true. Not at all."
The Corinth police don't believe the attack was motivated by Norman's sexuality, but the FBI is investigating the matter. Watch the station's report below.

Tags: Mississippi, Crime