GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Kent County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing whether the suspects identified from a brutal assault caught on camera will face charges in the next day or two.
A cell phone video went viral after catching a brutal fight on camera near Rosa Parks Circle last week. Grand Rapids Police said it quickly led to an outpouring of tips that helped detectives identify several suspects.
Sgt. Terry Dixon said Wednesday police continue to ask the public for help to identify others involved in the assault. Dixon said the department “wants to bring everyone to justice.”
“We want to thank the public for their assistance, but we also want to let those who are responsible know that this is something we are not going to tolerate,” said Dixon. “The Grand Rapids Police Department, the community, and the city as a whole, these types of random violence will not go on.”
The cell phone video shows a brutal assault: a sucker punch that leads to a mob attack on an 18-year-old man. It happened July 28 in the area of Monroe Avenue and Louis Street. Police say the victim told officers he did not know anyone in the brazen group, after he left cut, bruised, and concussed.
Dixon said this fight is one of 14 that GRPD has investigated near Rosa Parks Circle since May 1 of this year. Although Dixon said this kind of random violence is not a trend, GRPD is restructuring their patrols downtown, and looking to add resources, like several Segways for downtown officers.
“Our downtown is generally speaking a very safe place to be and we want to keep it that way, and want to keep that message very frank and very clear,” said Dixon.
Dixon said as of now GRPD is not calling this assault a hate crime, and continue to investigate it as a random assault.
If you recognize anyone in this video, police ask you to contact GRPD at (616) 456-3337, or call Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345. You can also contact Silent Observer confidentially at http://www.silentobserver.org.
