Four Arrested, Charged For Beating Man They Thought Voted For Trump [Video]
The controversial 2016 Presidential Election has brought out the worst in many people. Since Donald Trump was declared the President-elect of the United States, there have been protests, senseless crimes, and rude remarks made by many people around the country, all in the name of political support. Now, another incident has been reported.
According to Fox 32, four were arrested for assaulting a man they believed was a Donald Trump supporter. Although the victim, identified as 49-year-old David Wilcox, has confirmed that he is, indeed, a Trump supporter, he insists that’s not what started the argument. Wilcox claims the four suspects were riding together in a black sedan when they pulled up beside him and scraped the right side of his vehicle. A question he asked reportedly fueled the argument.
“I stopped and parked. And I asked if they had insurance, and the next thing that I knew they were beating the s— out of me,” Wilcox said.
It has been reported that the attack took place near South Kedzie Avenue and West Roosevelt Road in North Lawndale in Chicago, IL, on Nov. 9, hours after Trump won the election. There is also a 45-second clip of the incident. The viral YouTube video shows three suspects beating Wilcox before jumping into his vehicle and driving off. The video begins with two suspects punching and kicking the victim while another person films as an onlooker encourages the assault.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOSxFS2t4NI
“You voted Trump?” and “Beat his a–.” Another witness said, “Don’t vote Trump” and “Steal his stuff.”
Here is a clip of the video:
*Warning: This view contains explicit language and content that may not be offensive to some views. Viewer discretion is advised.*
Four Arrested After Viral Video Shows Them Beating Up Trump Supporter https://t.co/ZCaPBi5S1E #BlueLivesMatter #TCOT
— Progressives-R-Liars (@FairTax4America) November 20, 2016
After beating the man, one of the suspects attempts to jump into the driver’s side of the victim’s gold car. The victim makes a futile attempt to stop the carjacking by hanging onto the rear driver’s side window, but to no avail. The suspect drives off with the victim hanging on. He managed to get away while dragging the victim. According to police, the injured victim was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he received treatment and was later released, reports DNA Info.
Although many social media views found the disturbing video relatively entertaining, the police may have considered it a viable component for the investigation into the assault.
On Thursday, Nov. 17, the Chicago Police Department arrested Julian Christian, 26, for his alleged involvement in the beating. “Additional information” detectives received led to the arrests of three other suspects: “Dejuan Collins, 20, of the 9500 block of South Avalon Avenue, and Rajane Lewis, 21, of the 7800 block of South Euclid Avenue. A 17-year-old girl was also arrested but her name has not been released because she is a juvenile,” according to the report.
All four suspects are facing one felony count of vehicular hijacking. The violent incident has made local and national headlines. Ald. Michael Scott Jr. (24th) released a statement following the arrest of the suspects. He made it clear such acts of violence will not be tolerated. “It is very disturbing to see any act of violence, especially an act of violence [that may have been based] on a man’s political preference or views,” he said. “This is something I and the people of North Lawndale will not tolerate.”
The latest report of assault follows a string of others about Americans being taunted or assaulted for political preferences. Many Trump supporters have shared their opinion of the latest video, blaming President Obama for the heinous crime. However, their remarks have been met with opposition from Democrats who feel the same way about President-elect Donald Trump. Since there have also been crimes committed by Trump supporters, many have cited the rising problem of politically-inspired, racially-motivated violence.
[Featured Image by Chicago Police Department]
