Police have arrested two people in connection with an alleged hate crime which occurred inside a New York subway station. According to reports, a Black teenager walked into the Coney Island-Stillwell subway station as he usually does to get to school. But this time, the 16-year-old was met with a white mob who would scar him forever.
The alleged attack, which happened around 8 a.m. on Monday (March 24), was initiated when at least three white teens spotted the Black boy in the station’s mezzanine and began hurling racial slurs at him, according to the New York Post. The teen was able to run away, but soon, the mob caught up to him and allegedly began beating him. Community leaders told News 12 the alleged attackers were white Uzbekistan teens.
The exactly timeline and order of the attack is unclear as of Friday (March 28), but at some point, police say one of the attackers threw a banana at the victim. They went on to physically assault the victim, punching and kicking him repeatedly in the middle of the station, the Post reported. During the attack, one of the victim’s shoes was allegedly stolen and later found in the mezzanine.
Part of the attack was caught on cell phone footage and shared on Instagram. It has since been taken down, but Pix 11 News obtained and reviewed the clip. In it, per the outlet, the Black teen can be seen curled in a fetal position as at least three white males jump on him. The group eventually ran off, leaving the victim with minor injuries at the scene.
When officials finally arrived to the station, the teen refused medical attention. According to reports, he was later treated for head injuries at a south Brooklyn hospital. Pix 11 spoke to the victim’s mother, and she said although a few witnesses tried to intervene, her son is still “traumatized” after the vicious attack. Now, she wants justice.
The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force continues to investigate the incident. So far, two arrests have been made. The identities of the suspects have not been released citing their minor ages, 14 and 16 years old. Police suspect at least one more attacker is still at large, according to Pix 11. Some reports suggest up to nine teens were part of the mob, but that has not been confirmed.