Beating on school bus upsets parents

[Danno 1,228]

Tape shows beating on bus of Belleville West student

By Leah Thorsen and Nicholas J.C. Pistor

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

09/15/2009

For vid

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stor...5B?OpenDocument

UPDATED, 11:35 a.m. with police captain backtracking on whether attack was racially motivated.

BELLEVILLE -- A Belleville police spokesman now says an incident where a white student was beaten by teen black assailants on a bus “may not be racially motivated.”

“It was premature on my part,” said Belleville Police Capt. Don Sax. “It was my personal and emotional comment after only seeing the video briefly.”

Sax said police interviewed the 17-year-old Belleville West High student. However, he said he was unaware of what the student told police.

Some of the students on the bus yesterday during the incident cheered the beating, the video shows.

Sax said a formal statement would be made available later today.

“After having reviewed the video, it doesn't strike me nearly as racially motivated,” Sax said.

The about-face came this morning as the story made national headlines. Although, Sax said it was purely his review of the video that changed his mind.

Belleville has had a long history of racial turmoil, with a past that includes police harassment of black motorists, cross burnings and discrimination in city hiring.

The divide began a century ago, in 1903, when a black man was lynched by a mob of 5,000 people in the town square, set on fire and dismembered.

EARLIER STORY

BELLEVILLE — A Belleville West High School student was beaten aboard a bus on the way to school Monday, and a police spokesman said the beating could be racially motivated.

The 17-year-old victim was white and the teen assailants were black. Police released a video of the beating, which shows the victim being punched repeatedly while other students on the bus gather to watch, some cheering. It doesn't appear that the victim did anything to provoke an attack and tried only to defend himself. Police said it all unfolded in a five-minute span.

The victim was trying to find a seat and was told by two students he could not sit next to them, police said.

As he walked to the seat, someone shouted, "Beat his ####."

When he did sit down, one teen tried to push him out of his seat then began grabbing the victim’s neck and punching him in the face.

With each punch, some in the crowd chanted, "Boom, boom, boom."

The victim eventually returned to his seat, but another student began taunting him a few minutes later. The victim was then struck in the face.

It was unclear what, if anything, the bus driver did to stop the attack. At one point, before the second attack, a man shouts, "Sit down guys."

Students intervened to help the victim both times.

"In my estimation, it's racially motivated," said Capt. Don Sax of the Belleville Police Department. He said one reason he had formed this opinion was that many of the students, most of whom were black, yelled their support for the beating.

"There was absolutely no justification for the beating either time," Sax said.

Two teens were taken into custody; authorities will apply for charges today. Both students have been suspended, said Superintendent Greg Moats.

He also said there had been no racial problems at the school and said that he wanted to talk further with police to determine why they believe race could have been a motivator in the fight. He also said the school will do everything possible to make sure students are safe, but he wouldn't elaborate.

[nurse1967 287]

If my kid was beaten like that they would see me in court!! It's disgusting the way some people raise their kids.

[almaty 19]

Belleville is near where I live...they were on 60 minutes years ago for racial profiling...it is a community that has allot of division and not jsut racial...

[almaty 19]

Belleville is near where I live...they were on 60 minutes years ago for racial profiling...it is a community that has allot of division and not jsut racial...

[Ban Hammer 13,658]

sickening. and i don't mean almaty's double post.

[HAL 9000 96]

sickening. and i don't mean almaty's double post.

Agreed, and lol to the non-reference.

[Heracles 417]

Belleville is near where I live...they were on 60 minutes years ago for racial profiling...it is a community that has allot of division and not jsut racial...

That was a black kid beating a white kid.

So don't sit here an justify the action of a a kid born in the last fifteen years on racial profiling. It's people like you that allow this to go on and excuse it using history.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Booyah!

[Heracles 417]

How do people expect someone not to be racist when these similar scenarios play out across America daily? When statistics from the FBI clearly show who is responsible for the majority of these racial hate crimes in this decade.

Anyways, I learned quick smart since moving here that someone black can now pretty-much get away with anything, yet a Caucasian would be branded and slandered for anything even close to this. If the victim had been black, Jesse Jackson would be in the state demanding the kid go to prison.

No bloody wonder you have groups that are racist here. Why should they put up with this and allow it to be excused with well they are poor or their ancestors were segregated and were slaves. Or better yet, the latest this is just one person excuse, so nothing to see move along.

The handful of posts here speaks volume. Had the victim been black, we would be on the 35 page mark. Heck, AJ would have even come back to say he's sick of racist white f---s.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Booyah!

[Nagishkaw 510]

Belleville is near where I live...they were on 60 minutes years ago for racial profiling...it is a community that has allot of division and not jsut racial...

That was a black kid beating a white kid.

So don't sit here an justify the action of a a kid born in the last fifteen years on racial profiling. It's people like you that allow this to go on and excuse it using history.

[Heracles 417]

Kid sits down and basically gets assaulted.

[Heracles 417]

Nothing huh about it. It's called double standards, it's called reverse racism. Had the victim been black, this story would make national news. "White supremacists assaults black kid who just want to sit down while going to school". I have been here long enough to know there certainly would not be a huh response, that's for sure.

I am not saying this kid did this because he is black, however, there is clearly a problem with violence in that community which is not being addressed; on fear of being branded a racist.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Booyah!

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Belleville is near where I live...they were on 60 minutes years ago for racial profiling...it is a community that has allot of division and not jsut racial...

That was a black kid beating a white kid.

So don't sit here an justify the action of a a kid born in the last fifteen years on racial profiling. It's people like you that allow this to go on and excuse it using history.

How is almaty's comment on the state of affairs in said city justifying anything? You just love to pick fights, mate.

[Danno 1,228]

I don't think this is really anything extraordinary ... except that these kids were doing this knowing a camera was rolling.

This was normal when I went to school except not on the bus... almost always after the bus pulled away.

I went to a pretty good school (as public schools go).

This is were I do agree with some.

Home schoolers and even private schooled kids miss out on the reality of "socialization".

If I was home schooled or private schooled, I am sure my outlook would be a little more idealistic.

The reason you don't see more of this on camera is because most often the kid that got beat-up would have just "avoided" the confrontation by moving to another seat as he was told too.

[Heracles 417]

How is almaty's comment on the state of affairs in said city justifying anything? You just love to pick fights, mate.

Good to see you guys actually discuss the incident.

I am not picking fights. I just get mad when people let their own bias get in the way of accepting and addressing issues in America. Particularly people who use historical events to excuse unacceptable neanderthal, third world like behavior, in 2009.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Booyah!

[Nagishkaw 510]

Have a cigarette and calm down, Boo.