By Melanie Eversley
NABJ Black News & Views
https://blacknewsandviews.com/
The FBI is assisting officials in Indiana with the investigation of last week’s beating of a Black man by multiple white men who used a racial slur, the sheriff and others said at a press conference Wednesday.
An eyewitness video of Friday’s incident at Pike’s Pub just outside of Fort Wayne went viral on social media, and showed multiple white men in biker attire that read “Outlaws” punching and hitting the Black man down to the ground. In the video, the white men and onlookers called the victim the “n word,” and someone threw a chair at the Black man.
Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger said the FBI would be working with his agency, and he acknowledged the pain that the community has felt because of the incident.
“It was an attack on who we are as a community,” Hershberger said during the press conference. “An attack like this strikes fear, anger, and pain into the hearts of many. And it does not just harm the person targeted, it sends a message of hate, intimidation, and division that ripples across every family, every neighborhood, and every person that calls Allen County home.”
He acknowledged that emotions were high among community members, who suggested in conversations in social media that because the perpetrators were white, law enforcement would not pursue the case.
“We are conducting a thorough and ongoing investigation and we are doing so in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to ensure every lead is followed, every fact is verified and we build the strongest case possible,” Hershberger said.
“Let me also be clear on this, nobody is above the law, no group, no individual, no affiliation, no one,” the sheriff continued. “This behavior will not be tolerated and does not reflect the values of our community….violence, especially rooted in hate, has no place here.”
RELATED: Public calls for investigation after video shows white men beating Black man
Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker said she has confidence that the sheriff’s department will put as much effort as possible into the investigation, and she asked community members to be patient while officials look into what happened.
“We see the passion, we feel the passion, and I know that you want quick justice, but what we need to do is make sure that we have thorough justice so that there is no dismissal on a technicality,” she said. “It takes time for facts to be uncovered, it takes time to go through the information that needs to be discovered, and it also takes time for a determination —, and through that time, I need your patience.”
Tucker continued, “I am not sure why anyone would choose to commit a crime in the city of Fort Wayne or in Allen County because one thing I can assure you, that we are not soft on crime …. because this is a community that we are building for our children, and we want our children to be safe in the community, along with everyone else.”
Allen County Prosecutor Michael McAlexander echoed pleas from the mayor and sheriff that anyone who saw anything come forward.
In the meantime, the victim — identified by other news organizations and a Change.org petition as James Simmons — had plans to speak out on the case Thursday with Pastor Carlton Lynch of nearby Benton Harbor, Michigan, according to a published report.
Simmons did not respond to a message on Facebook requesting comment.
Telephone calls to Pike’s Pub on Tuesday and Wednesday were not answered, but bar owner Kelley Rost told WANE 15: “There are two sides to every story.”
