Chicago police are reluctant to call the videotaped torture of a white man by four black suspects a “hate crime”

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A video of black assailants torturing a white man, bound and gagged, emerged Wednesday evening with one of the suspects yelling, “Fuck Donald Trump, fuck white people.” Even so, Chicago police are hesitant to label it a hate crime.

Videos by Rare

A young African-American woman streamed the video live on Facebook. It showed at least four people holding the young white man hostage.

The 18-year-old man, who might have  was being beaten, cut and berated by four African-American teens. Another video showed the suspects forcing the white male to drink toilet water as they laughed. During a press conference Wednesday, police would not speculate on a racial motive. Chicago Police Department Commander Kevin Duffin said: “Kids make stupid decisions — I shouldn’t call them kids, they’re legally adults. But they’re young adults and they make stupid decisions.”

A reporter asked why the suspects making anti-white, anti-Trump comments would not warrant it being investigated as a hate crime.

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“That will certainly be part of whether or not we determine this a hate crime or whether or not this is stupid ranting and raving,” Duffin said.

At the end of the press conference, police superintendent Eddie Johnson was asked about the Trump connection and motive. He ruled out the connection.

“If you look at that video… it’s just stupidity,” Johnson said. He later said matter-of-factly, “No” on whether his department was looking into the crime as being politically-motivated.

Johnson did say about the video, “It’s sickening. You know it makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like that.”

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According to Fox 32, throughout the video, the victim is repeatedly kicked and hit, his scalp is cut, all while he is tied up with his mouth taped shut. At one point, he is held at knife point and told to curse Trump.

The suspects can be heard saying they want the video to go viral.

https://youtu.be/JeTxDOR2bao

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