Chicago Police Department officials will not yet confirm if an alleged kidnapping and video-recorded physical attack of a young white man with special needs will be prosecuted as a “hate crime.”
The suspects, two African-American women and two African-American men who are now all in police custody, shouted anti-white and anti-President-Elect Donald Trump phrases at the man.
The victim, who was reportedly taken from his neighboring suburb and brought into Chicago by the suspects has his beating live-streamed on Facebook by one of the suspects, police confirmed. The man was gagged, cut, and kicked by the suspects as they shouted slurs and him trapped in a corner.
When asked whether the incident would be investigated and prosecuted as a hate crime, police officials were hesitant to call the incident an act of hate against the man because he was white, has special needs and potentially a Trump supporter.
“We’re still investigating it and if the facts guide us to that, then we’ll certainly charge them appropriately,” Chicago Police Department Commander Kevin Duffin told the media during the press conference.
When asked about the suspects’ statements where they said “F*ck Donald Trump” and “F*ck white people” being motivators for possible hate crime charges, a Chicago police official said it would “be part” of the investigation.
“That will certainly be part of whether or not we determine this a hate crime or whether or not this is stupid ranting and raving,” the police official said to the media.
“He’s traumatized by the incident,” Superintendent Eddie Johnson said when asked if the victim had been able to give a full testimony of what occurred.
Police said three of the four suspects are from Chicago and all four can expect charges against them for the horrific incident within the next 48 hours.
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.