Chicago (AFP) – Chicago prosecutors filed hate crime and other felony charges Thursday against four people suspected of holding a special needs man captive and assaulting him in a racially charged attack broadcast live on Facebook.
Video of it shows a terrified young white man crouching in the corner of a room as four black attackers taunt and beat him, at times yelling “Fuck Donald Trump” and “Fuck white people.”
The video was posted live on Facebook by one of the alleged perpetrators, and has since spread on the internet.
Police identified the four suspects on Thursday – three of whom were 18 years old and the fourth 25 — as Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper, Brittany Covington and Tanishia Covington.
All four face multiple felony charges, including for kidnapping, battery and hate crimes.
Police did not reveal the identity of the victim.
In the video, the victim appeared to be tied up and had duct tape over his mouth. The two female and two male attackers are seen cutting off parts of the victim’s clothes, hitting him, and cutting some of his hair to the scalp, causing bleeding.
The victim, who was found by police walking near the scene of the attack, was recovering after being released from a hospital, authorities said, describing him as traumatized by the ordeal.
Police said the victim had likely been with the group of attackers for at least 24 hours and as many as 48 hours, and knew one of them from school.
The victim’s parents reported him missing on Monday in their Chicago suburb, and later received text messages saying their son was being held captive, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
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