A video has gone viral of a Black autistic teen being harassed and viciously attacked by a group of teenagers at a New York subway stop.
Last Friday, a 15-year-old autistic teen is seen exiting a subway stop, with a group of teens following and taunting him with racial slurs. Two girls from the group then escalate the matter by physically grabbing the 15-year old by his jacket and beating him up. While he tries to defend himself, the boys from the pack jump in and further beat him down. The rest of the group film the beat down and post the video to social media intentionally looking for a viral moment.
The incident took place at the West 181st Street and Fort Washington Avenue subway stop around 5:30 p.m.
After receiving reports of the incident, the NYPD 34th Precinct tweeted asking for help in the arrest of the perpetrators. CBS News reported that the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.
🚨WANTED FOR ASSAULT🚨 On 3/10/23 at approx. 5:30 PM inside the 181 Street & Ft. Wash. Ave. subway station, the subjects pictured punched the victim causing injuries. Any info call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). https://t.co/KYi0L4Wrfo or on Twitter @NYPDTips pic.twitter.com/nujJRiB43P
— NYPD 34th Precinct (@NYPD34Pct) March 13, 2023
Since the time of the tweet, a 14-year-old boy has been arrested and charged as a juvenile. He has been released with a date to appear in court alongside his parents.
The victim has not yet been named but his mother shared that she will "feel even better when all of them are apprehended. I just want them to understand when you do something, there are consequences for your actions. You don't just go around beating people."
