The FBI is assisting Indiana officials in their investigation into 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, showing multiple white men in biker attire with the words “Outlaws” punching and hitting the Black man to the ground. In the video, white men and bystanders refer to the victim as the “n word,” and someone throws a chair at him.
Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger stated that the FBI would be working with his agency and acknowledged the community’s pain as a result of the incident.
“It was an attack on who we are as a community,” Hershberger stated at the press conference. “An attack like this instills fear, anger, and pain in the hearts of many. And it not only harms the target, but it also sends a message of hatred, intimidation, and division throughout Allen County, affecting every family, neighborhood, and individual.
He acknowledged that community members’ emotions were high, with some suggesting on 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,” she said.
“Let me also be clear on this, nobody is above the law, no group, no individual, no affiliation, no one,” said the sheriff. “This behavior will not be tolerated and does not reflect the values of our community….violence, especially rooted in hate, has no place here.”
Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker expressed confidence that the sheriff’s department will put forth as much effort as possible in the investigation, and she urged residents to be patient while officials investigate what occurred.
“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 told the audience. “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.”
He went on: “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 the mayor and sheriff’s pleas for anyone who witnessed anything to come forward.
Meanwhile, the victim, identified by other news organizations and a Change.org petition as James Simmons, was scheduled to speak out on the case Thursday with Pastor Carlton Lynch of nearby Benton Harbor, Michigan, according to a report.
Simmons did not respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.
Telephone calls to Pike’s Pub on Tuesday and Wednesday went unanswered, but bar owner Kelley Rost told WANE 15: “There are two sides to every story.”
