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A viral social media video of an African-American man recorded on October 10 in Milwaukee has sparked outrage among citizens. The video documented horrifying footage of the frightened man being held by his throat by an elderly white man over a neighbour's stolen bike.
Milwaukee police refused to disclose the identity of the 62-year-old man, who had one of his hands around the neck of the 24-year-old black man. Authorities said they were exploring the possibility of bringing charges against the suspect, whose description of the stolen bike did not correspond with the color of the bicycle the African-American man was riding in the video.
Warning: This video contains graphic content. viewer discretion is advised.
In a video posted by black community activist Vaun Mayes, the white man accuses the African-American man of stealing a green bike from his friend’s backyard. The frightened 24-year-old on a blue bike, reported as a person with special needs, looks at the man holding the camera - who is also black - and denies stealing the bike.
The video, which has now garnered millions of views, outraged several people across social media who weighed in on the incident and wondered about the outcome if the good Samaritan hadn't intervened on time.
Watch: White man wraps his hands around young African-American's neck in Milwaukee
The disturbing video shows the accused white man wrapping his hand around the young African-American man's throat with his left hand while dialing 911 with his other hand.
The person holding the camera warns him to release his hold on the black man, as he is seen saying, “I’m recording you, let go of the man’s neck.” The hostile white man responds, “Go ahead, record,” before slowly extracting his hand from around the young man’s neck. The elderly man then flips a middle finger at the camera.
Meanwhile, the young man continues saying, “I didn’t touch it,” while the 62-year-old white guy tells the call dispatcher that the African-American stole a green bike right from his backyard. However, as the young man innocently denies stealing the bike, the elderly man back-peddles his initial accusation and says that the black man’s friend stole the bike from his yard, stating:
“This kid over here – one of his friends stole a bike right out of a friend of mine’s yard.”
The good Samaritan recording can be heard telling the white man:
“You ain’t got to touch his neck like that.”
The video spurred a protest by Black Lives Matter activist and local Black Community activist Vaun Mayes in front of the unidentified suspect's home on October 12 in Milwaukee. Authorities are yet to declare any charges against the suspect.
