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Joseph Baken, seen here in a movie still from the 2011 film "Judas Kiss."
A 22-year-old man who claimed he was badly beaten outside a downtown Missoula, Mont., bar because he is gay actually sustained his facial injuries trying to do a backflip on a sidewalk, police say.
Joseph Baken of Billings, Mont., was charged with filing a false police report after a video obtained by police and the Missoula Independent newspaper cast doubt on his story.
On Tuesday, Baken pleaded guilty in Missoula Municipal Court to the false report charge. He was given a 180-day suspended jail sentence and fined $300, according to the Independent.
Baken initially reported to police that he was attacked early Sunday morning by three men outside the Missoula Club, where he said he had gone to celebrate his 22nd birthday, after asking patrons about the location of a gay bar, according to local media reports.
Pictures of his badly bruised face quickly circulated on the Internet and were displayed on the Wipe Out Homophobia Facebook page and other sites. Gay-rights activists expressed outrage at what they thought was a gay-bashing hate crime.
But Baken’s story began to fall apart after the Independent and the Missoula Police Department obtained what appears to be cellphone video footage that shows Baken trying to do a backflip on a sidewalk in Missoula. He falls short during the landing, smacking his face against the sidewalk.
“Video evidence taken by unidentified sources was examined and demonstrates that Joseph Baken caused injury to himself by attempting a backward somersault and striking his head on the sidewalk at about 2:30 AM on Higgins Avenue,” Lt. Scott Brodie said in a statement.
“Joseph Baken was contacted by Missoula police detectives and during a subsequent interview he admitted that the alleged assault against him did not occur as it was reported,” Brodie said.
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The decision to charge Baken with filing a false report “was due in part to the sense of fear and anger that quickly developed after Baken had identified a specific business and possible suspects in his allegations,” Brodie said.
Baken could not be reached by NBCNews.com for comment on Thursday. A phone call to a listing for Joseph Baken in Billings went unanswered.
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Baken was a featured background player in the 2011 film "Judas Kiss," billed as "an offbeat contemporary drama on a college campus alive with magical realism."
Carlos Pedraza, "Judas Kiss" writer-producer, had posted the picture of Baken's battered face on the movie's website along with news of the alleged attack. In a follow-up blog post on Tuesday, Pedraza said:
"As a journalist, I can now see the initial report raised questions that should have been followed up on before this case rose to the level of national attention that it has (e.g., Towleroad and Huffington Post). As a person who wanted to believe his friend, I admit my bias: I glossed over these questions because I wanted to support my friend. But reporters shouldn’t have.
I posted the news based on press reports and on the fact that a friend and cast member had been hurt. I stand by that decision because anti-gay violence is all too common, and whether this report is true doesn’t change that. Even though the report was false, it doesn’t lessen the value of the offers of support many people had asked me to relay. I am heartened by their stand that such violence is wrong and should be prosecuted."
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Leave a Comment:
Typical queer stunt. I'm sure about 98% of claimed queer assaults are just like this. Like a heterosexual doesn't have anything better to do than go out and beat up a queer. Yeah........right.
Good job coach. You straight people have alot to brag about. you beat and rape women. molest little girls, start world wars and are full of hate. typical straight stuff. when I grow up, I wanna be just like you. NOT!!
Well TB you are on the wrong path because you sound just like every bigot I ever met.
You first, Olivia.
All crime is hateful. The term 'hate' crime is redundant. But then again it protects special interest. Wake up straight community and stop this 'element' before they totally destroy all that our forefathers and veterans fought for. Homosexuals are perverted; they demand special treatment; they cost working Americans billions of $$ every year in inflated insurance costs and medical bills. They and their ilk are the bane of America.
cord I Agree and could not have said it any better.
Hate crimes are not restricted to homosexuals; if a crime is committed against you because you're straight, it is a hate crime. Hate crimes are crimes committed because of, among other things, sexual orientation.
Stop embarrassing yourselves.
Ha Ha Ha cord. I think it was wrapped a little to tight around your neck when u were born. Gay people the ills of America. What a joke! The reason this country or the word in fact is in this mess is because straight idiots like you have been in charge for 200 plus years. Ya, Wake up straight community. Look in the F-n Mirror!!!
no TB it is because of the disgusting weak people that decided to be homosexuals in the first place and everything he said was truthful, the fact you just trolled him just because he said the truth is a Great example of how you people think and act.
Erin you will never see hate crime if the victim is 1 white or 2 straight. Even the Attorney General of the United States said discrimination cannot happen to white people and he will not allow HIS department of justice to file if a white person claims discrimination. His words not mine. So what you have is a whole group of people who do not believe the government will take their cases because the Attorney General said so. I personally believe if someone of a different race or sexual orientation was coming at me in front of ten TV cameras screaming hate our government would not file a hate crime when they killed me. Iwill call this my country because here I was born but I will not call this MY government because it doesn't give a damn about me.
Olivia, pedophiles are attracted to the age, not the gender. Homosexuals are not pedophiles; in fact, approximately 90% of all pedophiles are heterosexual, married men. Comparing homosexuality, which is legal as it involves only consenting adults, to child molestation/pedophilia is comparing apples to oranges -- but it demonstrates your ignorance and bigotry very well, Olivia.
BTW, homosexuality has existed since humankind has existed -- however, the number of gays who have come out has increased dramatically in recent years, which makes people believe that there may actually be more homosexuals in the population than was originally thought.
When did he ever say that, Lonereb? According to the FBI, there were 575 incidents of anti-white violence in 2010, so it would be very stupid to make such a statement -- and neither the President nor AG Holder are stupid men.
I hope that you really do get butt raped @!$%#.
God works in mysterious ways. If He can use a donkey, He can use a sidewalk.
God has nothing to do with this, please do not attempt to force your believes on us as the homosexual's do you are better than that.
Brad - How is his comment forcing religion on you?
Simply by Mentioning anything to do with God or a Church or any religious believes on the matter because not only does it have no place here but i do not believe in that made up garbage in the first place...it's as fake as the story about people being born with the homosexual gene, there is no prove of Religion or any God and when they do give us the fact's maybe then it will be accepted by all.
Or in Brad's case He can use an a$$.
Brad because you don't believe does not give you the right to tell other people they can't speak their beliefs. I too think that was an incredibly stupid comment. And Brad represents the fourth group that hates but won't admit it. He not only hates but he wants to silence anyone who does believe. And this is what our country has come too. You are only free to speak if you believe as the radical liberals do. If not you will be told to shut up. Now isn't that kind of treatment what gays don't like when others do it. BTW Brad you are not man enough to stop me from speaking what I believe. So if you think you are ask I'll give you directions to my house.
rep·ro·bate
[rep-ruh-beyt] Show IPA noun,adjective, verb, rep·ro·bat·ed, rep·ro·bat·ing.
noun
1.
a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person: a drunken reprobate.
2.
a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.
Please keep Religion out of this it has no place in this Conversation, we do not need a made up story to help prove the point that this person should be punished or to tell us that being homosexual is morally wrong we all know this.
Brad for a majority of Americans some 85% belief in a supreme being is part of everything they think and do. Sorry you are the minority and you do not get to tell the rest of us what we can think or say. If you don't like it you are welcome to leave.
Too bad for you, Lonereb, that we are not a country of majority rule. The tyranny of the majority cannot deny rights to the minority. If YOU don't like it, you are welcome to leave. Iran or Afghanistan might be a better fit for you.
This is analogous to the woman who files a false claim of rape. It just makes it that much harder for those who really ARE victims of crime to be believed. Mr. Baken should be ashamed of himself.
f***ing a**h***!!!!!! somebody really needs to take him out and beat the crap out of him for that. it's creeps like this that create so much drama.
I am gay and I feel outrage towards this lying sack of crap. How dare you use your sexual orientation as a reason to get off from the drunken stupidness that you created at 2:30 am? So what if it was Montana or NYC or Boston? You are to blame for your actions and you tried to pawn off responsibility on the (hetero non-approving) crowd in your town but it backfired. You alone are to blame. Glad your face got ripped up, btw, next time hope it's your butt!
OMG, to think even "gay" folks lie to the police. He's gotta be the first person to ever change his story once the police investigators see a video of a different account? To me, he sounds like a typical 22 yr old making up a better story to impress someone, than admitting he tried and failed at doing something stupid @ 2:30 in the morning. Duh.... Next story, please.
Falsifying a police report is NOT typical. Its not that he lied, it's what he lied about! He lied about being beaten because he is "gay". The story he made up has made him out to be a convicted criminal. The homo that cried wolf, you may now move on to the the next liberal lie in the headlines!
Brad, God Loves you.
Brad he lied about being beaten in the first place the idiot lost a fight with a sidewalk. Now having been a bar bouncer for 6 years he isn't the first idiot I've seen do something really stupid. I worked in a bar that had 17,000 people in it on St Patrick's day I have seen many people do many stupid things. You do not file a false claim and accuse someone of a crime because you did something stupid.
Think about all the people who have gone out of their way for this guy after his lie.
Hetrophobe
Hate crime against hetrosexuals if you ask me, put the little sob in jail.
Ok as a gay man....i think what he did should be considered a hate crime. by reporting it as a hate crime he hurt not just an individual but a community...and in this case several communities. He hurt the hetro community with false accusations and he hurt the gay community and what many on here call "our cause". He also hurt the entire community by tying up resources that are needed elsewhere. The basis of hate crimes is that the crime itself does not hurt just one person but an entire community. Given that logic his crime should be considered such
I agree it is a hate crime. It's a false flag hate crime. The intention is to cause hatred, anger, false imprisonment and revenge attacks on the group that was framed. It is intended to cause fear and hatred in the perceived victims group to make them more 'involved'.
It is at least as malicious as a real hate crime attack. The literal victim's injuries are not real. But the fear, anger, hatred and desire for revenge are exactly the same as a real attack. If it happens too often people start doubting all similar cases.
This man should of been give the same prison time as the people he falsely accused would of received.
LOL... now I have heard EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!! Montana has "HOMOPHOBIC" sidewalks?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dude "bashed" himself. Stupid LYING QUEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks like he's "HETEROPHOBIC to me, HUH? Actually... the sidewalks up there hate "gay" people and finally it was their chance to finally get one. They better jackhammer up this section of sidewalk to prevent any further hate crimes by sidewalks... lol. NO SOUP FOR QUEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The world would be very different and far more wonderful if people would tell the truth.
I vote for that.
He got off too lightly. He falsely claimed a specific bar and specific people did it to him. He should of been sent to prison for the same amount of time as those innocent people faced if falsely convicted.
His false report was a hate crime, a false flag hate crime. The intention is to falsely brand one group of people as commiting an apparent attack. The intent is to cause hatred, anger, false imprisonment and revenge attacks against the falsely accused group.
It is not a prank or a hoax. See it for what it is, a false flag hate crime. This guy wanted to believe these kind of people in the hick bar would be the type to gay bash him. So he decided to frame them for a crime so they could spend decades in prison.
This guy should of got at least 5 years in prison. Someone should beat his ass, if he complains they can tell the cops that the liar is crying wolf once more.
I will tell you something nobody here will think of years down the road if any of those people got picked up and booked the arrest record will still be on file. The picture and fingerprints will always be on file with the FBI. And often the case disposition will never be attached. So when those people go for a job that requires being bonded they won't get it. Now do you see the real cost of his false claim. Sorry just doesn't cut it.
Erin,
Again, read the definition of Bigot, it doesn't care if you are "right" or "left."
You freely are calling anyone that disagrees with your opinion a "bigot." Truly you must be very familiar with what it means to be one, as I've given you the definition.
It doesn't matter how YOU feel, but not accepting that someone feels differently than you makes YOU the bigot, not them, unless they aren't accepting of YOUR views, though they may disagree.
It's clear from all of your posts on this subject that you either don't understand (maybe age/maturity/political views, or something else) but nonetheless, clearly you do not understand that being a bigot is NOT about feeling homosexualiy is "wrong" but about that person not being willing to live with someone else being different. You, clearly with your words show you are.
Me, well...I know where i stand, have friends that are G/L...they know I don't agree, but we are still friends...I also have friends that are LDS, they know how I stand on that too...that doesn't make me a bigot, not accepting their views would....YOU my dear, epitomize the very definition, as your view is clear...
Anyone that doesn't think gay and lesbian lifestyle is "ok" is a bigot...which makes you the bigot my dear, but you can change.
OH, and I posted this for you earlier, but if you missed, giving you a change to "get it" as clearly you don't understand that BIGOT isn't defined by someone who "disagrees" with your views, but by someone not accepting...You have shown you don't accept when someone doesn't feel homosexuality is "ok." And again, that my dear is what defines one as a bigot, not accepting that others don't agree.
Funny how that works...
Some of you "supporting" this guy are missing the biggest issue. His LIE included SLANDER of a local business. I haven't heard of what impact that had, but I'm sure it did have negative impact, at the very least from the PR side of things.
The judge in this case was too lenient, hopefully the business will file a Civil Suit against Mr. Baken, maybe that will teach him a lesson that the judge didn't seem to think was very important.
Hopefully those that are G/L will come out against this clown, as people like this do not do them good either. Let me qualify, I don't feel that lifestyle is "ok" but accept that others are different and wish no one ill will.
Erin could learn from that, it's called tolerance and acceptance...
Erin when people lose jobs because when they apply the arrest record comes up is the LGBT community going to chip in and help out? If anybody got picked up and booked that is a permanent file accessible by name and date of birth if you know the right people. The picture and fingerprints are permanently filed with the FBI. The case disposition is almost never updated correctly. Sorry doesn't cut it when you do that to people.
Let's not generalize. Not all concrete sidewalks are hate-filled bigots.
This is a reprehensible act! There are VERY real cases of mindless attacks that result in SERIOUS harm and/or DEATH! As a 62-year-old gay man, I feel inclined to kick this boy's ass myself; but, then I would be in the same category as those who do such things for "sport". If this idiot is, indeed, gay, why stop here -- make the attackers black, sheet-covered rednecks, closeted clergymen -- there are so many more people whom he has not yet harmed -- f**k them! Here are HIS 15 minutes of fame. I sincerely hope that they result in his successful prosecution for every legal/moral crime he has committed -- he is a true disgrace to humanity!