by Four people have been taken into custody in Chicago after apparently kidnapping and brutalizing a special-needs man they claimed supports Donald Trump — all while stupidly streaming their violent crimes on Facebook Live. Police have stated that the victim was held by the group for between 24 and 48 hours.
“The victim, who has special needs, was a high-risk missing person from northwest suburban Crystal Lake, police say,” CBS reported.
In the 30-minute long footage, streamed live onto Facebook on Tuesday by a woman named Brittany Herring, the deranged lunatic is seen laughing as the tied up and gagged man is having his sweatshirt cut from his body with a knife.
WARNING, EXTREMELY GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING CONTENT:
The group, all of whom are 18-years-old and black, can be heard repeatedly saying “F— DONALD TRUMP,” as they drink what appears to be alcohol and repeatedly assault the unidentified man, who is white. They continuously mock and torment him throughout the ordeal, at one point forcing him to drink from the toilet.
They are seen cutting the man’s scalp, kicking him, choking him, and hitting him as the deranged woman laughs. Their victim is repeatedly kicked and hit, his scalp is cut, all while he is tied up with his mouth taped shut.
During a press conference on Wednesday evening, Chicago Police Commander Kevin Duffin told reporters that the man was an “acquaintance” of the assailants, as he attended a school with one of the men. They also reported that the initial investigation is indicating that it appears he may have initially went with the man he knew willingly.
“It’s sickening,” Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said during the conference. “I’ve been a cop for 28 years, and I’ve seen things that you shouldn’t see in a lifetime — but it still amazes me how you still see things that you really shouldn’t. I’m not going to say it shocked me, but it was sickening.”
Disturbingly, the commander appeared to downplay the severity of the torture as “kids being kids.”
“Kids make stupid mistakes, I shouldn’t call them kids, they are legally adults, but they are young adults and the make stupid decisions,” Duffin said. “That certainly will be part of whether or not we seek a hate crime, determine whether or not this is sincere or stupid ranting and raving.”
The police found the man walking around disoriented and transported him to a local hospital. Officers subsequently responded to a battery at the location, and tied the signs of struggle at the scene to the disoriented male. It was not until later that the police learned of the video of the horrific crime.
Following the press conference, #BLMKidnapping trended nationally on Twitter. Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the hashtag kept disappearing from user’s trending lists — including the one visible from the We Are Change account. The hashtag #BrittanyHerring soon began trending instead.
The sick individuals fit the classic textbook definition of terrorists, “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.” There is plenty of violence, and their profanity-laced ranting about Trump certainly seems to cover the political aspect.
There is no mention of terrorism or it being a hate crime in the local news reports, and no charges have yet been filed against the depraved criminals. The department has stated that charges can be expected in the next 24-hours.
The man is reportedly safe from his captors, and being treated in a local hospital, Fox 32 reported on Wednesday. Police have confirmed that he is traumatized.
