A gay man in Athens was beaten early Wednesday after he yelled back at two men across the street who called him a “homophobic slur.” The men then apparently ran across the street and attacked him, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the sidewalk and broke some teeth, according to a police report obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald.

The 22-year-old victim was returning from downtown to his car parked on Pulaski Street about 2:15 a.m. when two men on the other side of West Hancock Avenue yelled a “homophobic slur” at him, and then he yelled back, according to a police report. The men ran toward him and the last thing the victim remembered before getting knocked unconscious was his face hitting the sidewalk and feeling teeth shatter, according to police.

The newspaper did not report what either party said, nor did it identify the victim. Police classified the attack as an aggravated battery, despite the victim’s request that it be reported as a hate crime. Georgia is one of 19 states in the U.S. that lack a hate crimes law.