Four men have been arrested after a harrowing video showed a disabled teenager being beaten up in a Florida forest.
Eighteen-year-old Cody Stripling and 19-year-old Sebastian Bowers were arrested following the alleged incident at a bonfire in Tiger Bay Forest on Halloween. Both of them face several charges, including aggravated battery.
The Volusia Sheriff's Office in Florida yesterday announced they had arrested Logan Levesque and Casey Knight, both 18, on Wednesday in connection with the alleged assault. They too face several serious charges.
Officials said the violent attack lasted between 30 and 40 minutes and left a disabled 19-year-old, who officials said 'basically has one arm,' with severe injuries.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood said of the incident: 'They're all looking at felonies, and they're looking at something that's going to follow them for the rest of their lives.'
Footage shared by police at the end of October showed several teenagers surrounding a man who was sat on a truck's tailgate.
Throughout the disturbing incident, the attackers repeatedly called the victim the N-word. The sheriff's office told the Daily Mail that the victim of the attack is white.
'It makes you want to throw up. You're beating an individual that basically has one arm... and you think it's cool,' Chitwood added.
Distressing footage of the alleged attack has been shared by police
Cody Stripling, 18, (pictured) was among the men who allegedly attacked the victim
Sebastian Bowers, 19, (pictured) was among those charged with the assault
After verbally harassing the victim for a few seconds, one man hit him in the face before two others joined in, the video shows.
They then threw him to the floor and began beating him relentlessly. In the background, a woman was heard pleading with the men to stop.
The disabled man appeared to be covered in blood.
As the men in the video celebrated the attack, the person filming the incident pushed his phone in the disabled man's face and repeatedly told him to smile.
The victim of the attack was heard repeatedly asking 'What did I do to y'all?'
The men were then heard spitting on the victim before continuing their physical assault.
The sheriff's office also shared footage of the arrest of Stripling and Bowers.
The alleged assault lasted between 30 and 40 minutes, police said
Logan Levesque, 18, (pictured) was arrested on Wednesday
Casey Knight, 18, (pictured) was arrested on the same day as Levesque
Bowers was heard asking a cop whether he and Stripling would be jailed together, to which the cop said they may be separated.
All four men have been charged with aggravated abuse of a disabled person, battery by strangulation and aggravated battery.
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