Cops slammed for downplaying black teens’ attack on white special-needs man
Warning: Graphic content
Social media users are blasting top cops with the Chicago Police Department for apparently downplaying the nature of a disturbing online video showing a white special-needs man being tortured by a group of black teens.
The department is investigating the Tuesday attack in which the 18-year-old victim can be seen on camera bound and gagged as a group of teens terrorize the man, beating him and cutting his hair with a knife. Cops also believe the victim was kidnapped.
“Although they’re young adults, they’re 18. Kids make stupid decisions,” said Chicago Police Department Commander Kevin Duffin at a Wednesday press conference on the incident. “I shouldn’t call them kids. They’re legally adults, but they’re young adults and they make stupid decisions.”
Investigators will determine “whether or not this is sincere or stupid ranting and raving,” said Duffin, who called the Facebook Live video “sickening,” but noted it’s too early to classify it as a hate crime.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said of the video, “I think some of it is just stupidity. You know, people just ranting about something they think might make a headline.”
Social media users were quick to criticize the police officials for seeming to chalk the incident up to young teens making “stupid decisions.”
“Are you kidding me? @Chicago_Police Clean up your force. Chicago Commander Kevin Duffin and Superintendent Eddie Johnson should RESIGN!” tweeted George McIntyre.
Twitter user @wallen48 wrote, “Young & stupid? Really #KevinDuffin? We’ve all been young & stupid but we didn’t kidnap, torture & assault w/weapons.”
User @BloodyMouthTalk tweeted that it’s “messed up” that Duffin “has pretty much excused [the incident] as a mistake.”
“#Chicago Commander Kevin Duffin Yes Im calling you out! This is NOT 18 year olds being stupid. They targeted this young man! @Chicago_Police,” tweeted Mary Catherine.
In the video — in which the victim can be seen cowering in the corner on the floor — someone is heard urging the victim, who is white, to say, “I love black people.”
“F–k Donald Trump, n—a, f–k white people!” one of the suspects can be heard telling the man in the video, which was livestreaming for roughly 30 minutes.
Four of the victim’s alleged attackers have been taken into custody, but were not immediately charged.
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