WASHINGTON — A fight outside a bar and restaurant in Olney, Maryland, that took place early Saturday morning is being investigated as a “hate-based incident,” Montgomery County police said.

Witnesses told police that a man had referred to other men in a disparaging way toward sexual orientation before a fight broke out.

Police responded to a report of this assault around 2:50 a.m. at The Greene Turtle at 18101 Town Center Drive.

It started at the bar, police said, where two groups were at opposite ends. One group had four people while the other group had more people.

As the larger group was leaving the bar near closing time, a man from that group approached the other group and poured a glass of water on two of the men, police said. This was when witnesses said, according to police, that the man who poured the water referred to the other men “in a derogatory manner in regard to sexual orientation.”

He then challenged the others to a fight, police said.

Both groups left The Greene Turtle and got into a fight in the parking lot. Two men were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries from the fight.

The man who poured the water has been identified, police said, but the investigation to identify everyone involved continues.

If anyone has more information, they can call detectives at 240-773-5530.