Friday, April 22, 2011

Caught on camera: Shocking moment girl is beaten up to point of seizure in McDonald's while staff idly stand by

  • McDonald's says incident is 'disturbing and troubling'
  • Police consider charging black girls with racist hate crime
A girl was brutally beaten to the point of having a seizure in McDonald's as staff passively watched on, shocking footage shows.
During the horrifying assault, which lasted for several minutes, the young white girl was repeatedly kicked in the head and stamped on by two black girls in the fast food store in Rosedale, Baltimore.
Staff stood by and even laughed as the attackers grabbed the girl's hair and dragged her across the floor. The assault, which happened on April 18, was so severe the 22-year-old victim had a seizure in the restaurant.
Scroll down for video footage
Shocking: girl is brutally beaten until she has a seizure
Shocking: girl is brutally beaten until she has a seizure
Brutal: The girls repeatedly kick the victim and stamp on her head
Brutal: The girls repeatedly kick the victim and stamp on her head
Brutal: The girl suffers blow after blow while staff duck out of the way, right
After shocking footage of the assault spread across the internet, with one site alone receiving 450,000 views by mid-afternoon, police said a 14-year-old girl had been charged as a juvenile, while charges were pending against an 18-year-old woman.
While the incident remains under investigation, local police told the Baltimore Sun they were looking into whether or not there was racist motivation.
State's Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger said hate crime charges were being considered.
'If there is evidence that the crime was racially motivated, we will take a look at those charges and see if we meet those elements. We have the ability, if the facts are there, to upgrade the charges at a later date,' Shellenberger said.
Police said the woman had suffered cuts to her mouth and face but was in 'fair' condition.
Seizure: The girl shakes on the floor uncontrollably after the attack
Seizure: The girl shakes on the floor uncontrollably after the attack
According to a police report, one of the suspects said that the fight was 'with a woman over using a bathroom'.
The horrifying video of the attack shows the black girls repeatedly punching, kicking and stamping on the victim before briefly leaving the store.
The girl manages to get up briefly before they return, again punching and kicking her to the floor.
Scene: The McDonald's in Rosedale where the shocking attack took place
Scene: The McDonald's in Rosedale where the shocking attack took place
At one point they try to drag the victim outside to the parking lot - and it takes the intervention of an old woman eating in the store to stop them.
After threatening to hit the older woman as well, the girls continue heavily pounding the victim, until, bleeding, she starts to have a seizure by the front door of the restaurant.
The attackers are warned by an employee to flee before authorities are finally called as onlookers realise that 'she needs help right now'.
While one member of staff makes a half-hearted attempt to stop the attack - occasionally shouting 'stop' at the girl - the rest idly stand by, watching the assault indifferently.
Video: The employee who shot the footage, identified as Vernon Hackett on social network accounts
Video: The employee who shot the footage, identified as Vernon Hackett on social network accounts
The video was taken by McDonald’s worker Vernon Hackett, according to The Smoking Gun.

Hackett, who has worked at McDonald's in Rosedale since September 2009, claimed credit for the video on his Facebook account, which he has since taken down.
At one point the employee can be heard laughing hysterically at the violence in front of him.
The video emerged yesterday on music website worldstarhiphop.com and has sparked fierce debate about the inaction of the McDonald's staff.
One visitor to the site last night commented: 'Where the heck were the employees? This is crazy and sad.'
Another added: 'Worst management ever.'
On another site, a viewer wrote: The female 'animals' need to be apprehended, and charged with attempted murder... the victim needs to sue McDonald's for everything they are worth.'
Others, however, argue that it would have been dangerous for the employees to have intervened.
A spokesman for McDonald's said: 'We are shocked by the video from a Baltimore franchised restaurant showing an assault. This incident is unacceptable, disturbing and troubling.

 

More...

  • They're lovin' it: McDonalds defy recession by making $1.2billion profits in a QUARTER (and it's all down to oatmeal)
  • 'Get off of me. Get away': Chilling CCTV footage shows woman being assaulted - and the attacker is still on the loose
'Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and employees in our restaurants. We are working with the franchisee and the local authorities to investigate this matter.'
Mitchell McPherson, who owns the McDonald's franchise where the attack took place, told MailOnline: 'I’m as shocked and disturbed by this incident as anyone would be.  The behavior displayed in the video is unfathomable and reprehensible. 
'The safety of our customers is a top priority.  We know the police were called immediately, and we are thoroughly investigating this matter.'

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