Newsdeck

Newsdeck

Four arrested after video shows assault of Chicago man

A disturbing video circulated on social media Wednesday showing a young Chicago man apparently tied up and being assaulted by four people.  

Chicago police said they had arrested the suspects seen on the Facebook Live video attacking and taunting the duct-taped man, while yelling racially-charged obscenities. 

The man, who was described as mentally-disabled, was taken by the suspects from a Chicago suburb to an area in the southwestern side of the city, and was with them for 24 to 48 hours, police said. 

One of the suspects was a school acquaintance of the victim, according to police.  

The suspects, who are black, and the victim, who is white, were said to be young adults over 18 years old. 

In the video originally posted by one of the arrested perpetrators, the suspects are seen laughing during the assault and repeatedly yelling: “Fuck Donald Trump! Fuck white people!” 

The victim can be seen squatting in a corner with his mouth duct-taped, and his hands and legs apparently tied up. His clothes are partially cut at one point, he is threatened repeatedly, and a part of his hair is cut down to his scalp causing a bleeding wound. 

“It’s sickening,” Chicago police chief Eddie Johnson said at a news conference announcing that the four suspects were being held pending formal charges. 

Police had not yet determined whether the incident constituted a hate crime or if there were political motivations behind the attack. 

Police were also still trying to determine whether the victim was kidnapped, saying that he was traumatized and was having difficulty communicating with investigators. 

Authorities said the victim has been released from a hospital.

nov/sg

© 1994-2017 Agence France-Presse

Gallery

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Daily Maverick Elections Toolbox

Feeling powerless in politics?

Equip yourself with the tools you need for an informed decision this election. Get the Elections Toolbox with shareable party manifesto guide.