Arrest made in beating of gay man
An arrest has been made in the beating of a 20-year-old gay man that was captured on video and uploaded to the internet.
Brandon White, left, was assaulted by 3 men shouting anti-gay slurs as he left a convenience store on McDaniels street on Atlanta’s southwest side last Saturday.
The beating was captured on 2 cell phone cameras and uploaded to Worldstarhiphop.com where it went viral.
Channel 2 Action news and the Atlanta Journal reports that Christopher Cain, 18, (inset) was arrested at midnight on Saturday in DeKalb County and charged with aggravated assault and robbery. He is currently being held at the Fulton county jail without bond.
Police have identified the other two assailants seen beating White in the video, but their names have not been released. Police are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to their arrests.
Meanwhile, concerned citizens of the Pittsburgh community and gay rights advocates have joined together to protest the beating and to foster unity in both communities.
Celebs Out & About: Christina Milian, Rihanna
Fashionable singers Christina Milian, right, and Rihanna were spotted dining in separate locations in Los Angeles, yesterday. Rihanna is set to join her pugilistic ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown, as they perform during the 2012 Grammy Awards. It’s been 3 years since Brown, now 22, beat Rihanna down in a vicious attack that left her permanently scarred emotionally. Fans can’t help but notice that Rihanna has not been the same since the savage attack.
Photos: Merino/INFphoto.com
CNN Suspends Roland Martin
CNN has apparently caved in to pressure from gay groups by suspending political analyst Roland Martin for making a joke about British soccer star David Beckham.
A CNN spokeswoman confirmed the suspension with this statement issued today:
“Roland Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive. Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being.”
Martin came under attack from gay groups after tweeting a wisecrack about Beckham’s underwear commercial which aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl telecast on NBC.
Martin seemed to suggest in his tweet that his followers “smack the ish out of” any male Super Bowl fan who is “hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad.”
Martin added that “real bruhs” would not purchase underwear advertised by Beckham.
A network suspension is usually the first step towards a contract termination. Martin was a CNN political analyst for 4 years.
Source: Washington Post blog
Beating Victim Speaks Out
20-year-old Brandon White stepped forward today to speak about the beating incident that has galvanized the gay community in Atlanta.
“I want to see something done. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I went through,” White said at a packed midday news conference.
White was the man seen in a viral video being brutalized by three unidentified men who punched and kicked him while they shouted anti-gay slogans. The 3 attackers are reportedly members of a local street gang called the “Jungle Boys” and the 1029 Jack City gang.
White said he didn’t report the incident to the police initially until he saw the video go viral on the Internet.
“I don’t bother anyone. I felt that if a straight person could walk to the store and not have a problem, I should be able to do the same thing,” White said.
In the video, which was first posted on Worldstarhiphop.com, White, wearing tight black “skinny jeans”, was ambushed by 3 gang members outside a convenience store on McDaniel Street in the “Pittsburgh” area of Atlanta on Saturday.
A man off camera can be heard repeatedly yelling “No f*ggots in Jack City!”
The FBI is investigating the case as a hate crime based on the anti-gay slogans heard in the 30-second video.
White, who is seeking therapy for his emotional scars, gave this advice to others who are victims of homophobic violence: “Say something. Speak to someone. Don’t hide it. You shouldn’t have to. This is 2012.”
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call Zone 3 police officers at 404-624-0674 or to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477.
Video Beating Victim To Speak
The Atlanta man seen in a viral video being savagely beaten by thugs for wearing skinny jeans will speak today at a press conference scheduled for noon.
The victim’s family told reporters that the 20-year-old man came forward on Tuesday to speak with police after the FBI joined the investigation.
“Atlanta Police Department spokesman Carlos Campos said that the widespread dissemination of the video led family members of the 20-year-old victim to contact police,” according to the Atlanta Journal.
“Atlanta police investigators were able to locate the victim … who gave a statement to investigators,” Campos said in statement emailed to the news media Tuesday night.
In the video, which was first posted on Worldstarhiphop.com, the victim is seen exiting a convenience store on McDaniel Street in the “Pittsburgh” area of Atlanta on Saturday. The man, wearing tight black “skinny jeans” and a long black ponytail, is set upon by three thugs shouting anti-gay slogans.
The thugs punch and kick the defenseless man as he crouched on the ground. One thug picked up a tire that was leaning on a wall nearby and hit the victim with it.
The brutal scene was captured on two cell phone cameras as well as a surveillance video from the convenience store.
The FBI is investigating the incident as a federal hate crime against gays. If captured and convicted, the perpetrators will face stiffer sentences than if they were convicted on state charges.
Watch the video here.
Video: Man Assaulted for Wearing Skinny Jeans *Updated*
Scroll down for updates…
A loyal reader sent in this disturbing video of a man being beaten by thugs who assume he’s gay apparently because he’s wearing a hairpiece and skinny jeans.
In the video, which was posted on Worldstarhiphop.com, the unidentified male victim, dressed in all black, was viciously punched without provocation as he exited a convenience store with another man dressed in an orange Tee (it isn’t clear if the two men are together).
When the victim hit the ground he was set upon by three thugs who savagely kicked and punched him as he cowered on the ground. The thug holding the camera laughed while another man off-camera screamed anti-gay hate slogans.
Loyal reader Demond writes:
Please Help End This.. Can you please help put an end to this mess! Bring these three guys to justice!
Update I, 6:43 pm ET:
The Washington Post has picked up the story under the title Atlanta Hate Crime Caught On Videotape. I had no idea this brutal attack occurred right here in Atlanta — the gay mecca of the south. We’re waiting for the local news to catch up.
Update II, 7:00 pm ET:
The Atlanta Journal Constitution was on top of this story earlier today. According to the AJC, Atlanta police are aware of the videotaped beating, which took place outside a convenience store on McDaniel street just south of the AU center. But police don’t know who the victim is or the date when the video was shot. The APD is urging the victim to come forward and press charges against his assailants.
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident shown in the video to call Zone 3 police officers at 404-624-0674 or to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477.
Update III, 11:40 pm ET:
The AJC reports that the FBI has joined in the investigation:
In a prepared statement emailed to the media Monday night, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “Along with the Atlanta Police Department, we are working to determine if the actions portrayed in the video violate federal law, including the hate crime statute.
“The actions depicted in the video are appalling and unacceptable in our community, and we encourage anyone with information about this video to contact the FBI or Atlanta Police,” Yates said.
Update IV, 11:45 pm ET:
WSBTV.com Channel 2 Action News reporter Craig Lucie speaks with the family of the teenage victim: Federal investigators now joining probe into taped beating of teen
Be warned that the video you are about to see is brutal and disturbing.
CNN’s Roland Martin Under Attack From Gay Groups for David Beckham Tweets
CNN’s political analyst Roland Martin came under attack from gay groups after tweeting a wisecrack about British soccer star David Beckham.
Martin, who is very sensitive when he is the subject of gay jokes, took to his Twitter page last night to “live tweet” during the Super Bowl broadcast. His tweets included this one, which his followers took to be an anti-gay slur:
Martin seemed to suggest that his followers “smack the ish out of” any male Super Bowl fan who is “hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad” that was shown during the Super Bowl.
Martin added that “real bruhs” would not purchase underwear advertised by Beckham.
