Warning: this video shows a disturbing attack.
A shocking video of a brick attack in Baltimore, Maryland over the weekend has sparked a police investigation. The video doesn’t offer much context, but it has been viewed millions of times online since Sunday. The footage appears to show a Black man hitting a white man in the back of the head with a brick as the victim walked down the street.
As seen on the video, the victim loses consciousness and falls on the sidewalk. The suspect ran away in another direction.
Baltimore City Councilman Eric Costello (D) posted video of the attack online.
“It should go without saying that the complete depravity to human life illustrated in this video is absolutely disgusting and should be investigate and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Costello wrote.
Many people have noted that Costello shared a video that one person posted on Instagram along with #WhiteLivesDoNotMatter. Oohs, ahhs and laughter can be heard. The video has since been removed from that Instagram account, but Costello’s apparent screen recording remains.
According to Costello, police are attempting to locate both the suspect and the victim. Per the city councilman:
The incident in this video occurred on Sunday, August 30, at approximately 6:35pm, at the NW intersection of W Hamburg St and Leadenhall St. The victim is walking on the north side of the 100 block of W Hamburg St, heading westbound (from S Hanover St toward M&T Stadium).Baltimore Police Department Detectives are actively investigating this incident and seeking any information, especially camera footage, in between the times of 6:00pm and 7:00pm. The most relevant location is the 100 block of W Hamburg St. If you have information or footage of the victim, suspect, those recording the video, or anything else relevant, please forward to Captain Eric Leitch at: Eric.Leitch@BaltimorePolice.org and feel free to copy me at: eric.costello@baltimorecity.gov.
Local news reports say that the unidentified person who reported an aggravated assault to police said a loud argument outside of a convenience store preceded the attack. When cops arrived on scene, they reportedly did not find the victim but did discover a pool of blood.
An anonymous witness told WJZ that he thought the suspect was “running to talk to the guy.” The witness said that he asked the victim if he wanted him to call an ambulance. The victim said he was alright, according to the witness.
WMAR reported—again citing a witness account—shed more light on what may have led to the attack.
“I was coming out of 7 eleven and the guy asked the guy for two dollars and the gentleman said he didn’t have two dollars and he was like well you got money in your hand and he said this is bill money and he walked away,” a man said.
Another video appeared to show the victim walking away after the attack and holding his head.
[Image via Twitter screengrab]