© 2024 WFAE
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Victim ID'd In Video Of 10 Attackers Beating Man In EpiCentre Garage During Protests

Charlotte Mecklenburg police
Video of assault in parking garage

Charlotte Observer

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have identified the man who was video taped being beaten, kicked and stripped of pants by 10 attackers in the EpiCentre garage during the height of uptown protests Wednesday.

The man’s name has not been released, but police say he is cooperating in helping to identify the attackers. It remains unclear if the man is a Charlottean or was visiting the city when the beating occurred.

Cell phone video of the attack has earned international attention and condemnation, including accusations that it was racially motivated. The attackers were African American and the victim was identified by police as white.

The incident happened during a night of violent protests in uptown that erupted over the Sept. 20 fatal police shooting of Keith Scott, an African American man who was reportedly armed and refused to follow police commands.

Charlotte police detectives verified the video is real and that the incident took place 10 p.m., Sept. 21, in the EpiCentre parking garage at 210 East Trade Street. The EpiCentre was heavily vandalized that same night and several businesses were looted.

In the video, a group of attackers chase, kick and punch the victim, even after he falls to the ground. They then strip his pants off, dragging him across the concrete at one point.

Charlotte detectives put out a call for help identifying the victim late Monday, noting he had not come forward and filed a complaint in the incident.

The video has been widely covered by media outlets around the world as an example of the mayhem exhibited in Charlotte when protests turned violent on Wednesday, the same night one protester was shot and killed by a bystander. The Daily Mail in the United Kingdom featured the video under the headline: “War zone in Charlotte: White man begs for mercy as he is beaten.”

CMPD detectives released details of the video Monday, including the fact that it begins with the victim on one knee at the entrance of the parking deck. “Approximately 10 male suspects chase the victim in the parking deck. They then proceeded to hit and kick him and then pull off his pants as they continued to assault him,” said the police statement.

The video has not been released by police, but it remains posted on You Tube in more than a dozen variations. The department has released images from the video to assist in identifying the victim and the suspects.

Detectives investigating the attack have compared video from the assault to video captured during looting at CVS and determined that some of the same individuals may have been present or involved.

The department has been using videos of the uptown protest to identify and arresta growing number of suspects accused of participating in the vandalism and looting last week. However, and activist group called Charlotte Uprisingis insisting that charges be dropped against anyone who participated in the protests.

The video below contains graphic content: