4 held over US live-streamed video attack
CHICAGO (AFP) — 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 ducttaped 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 the 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 the hospital.