Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Charges Expected in Chicago Beating Broadcast on Facebook

by Associated Press

   CHICAGO --

   Charges are expected against four people who police say beat a man in
   an assault that was broadcast live on Facebook, Chicago police said.
   The victim is a suburban Chicago resident who Police Superintendent
   Eddie Johnson said has "mental health challenges."
   In a news conference Wednesday, Johnson described the video as
   "sickening."
   "It makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like
   that," he said.
   The investigation began Monday after Capt. Steven Sasso said officers
   found a man who "was in distress and was in crisis" walking on a street
   on the city's West Side. The man was taken to a hospital and it was
   later discovered that he had been reported missing from an unidentified
   suburb.
   At about the same time, police took several people into custody at a
   nearby address where they found signs of a struggle and property
   damage. Investigators determined that the missing man had been at the
   same address.
   Charges were expected to be filed within 24 hours, Cmdr. Kevin Duffin
   said Wednesday.
   While police officials did not confirm the races of the suspects or
   victim, video from Chicago media outlets appeared to show someone
   off-camera using profanities about "white people" and President-elect
   Donald Trump. The victim appeared to be white, while others shown in
   the video appeared to be black.
   A motive for the attack, racial or otherwise, has not been determined,
   police said.
   When asked about the racial comments on the video, Duffin said the four
   in custody are "young adults and they make stupid decisions."
   Investigators will have to determine whether the racial remarks were
   "sincere or just stupid ranting and raving" when considering a
   potential hate crime charge, Duffin said.
   The victim was with his attackers for 24 to 48 hours before police
   found him, and the episode has left him shaken, according to Duffin.
   "He's traumatized by the incident and it's very tough to communicate
   with him at this point," he said.
   The victim was a classmate of one of the attackers and initially went
   with that person voluntarily, Duffin said.