Andrew Walls is facing charges after a physical altercation with a Black woman in Akron, Ohio, Cleveland 19 reports. The incident was not only recorded but was captured by surveillance footage.
Walls, a white man, can be seen attacking and yelling racial obscenities at Cameron Morgan, 23, in the Highland Square neighborhood during the early hours of Feb. 27. Once police were dispatched to the scene, Morgan said Walls used a series of racial slurs including calling her the N-word as he attacked her.
In addition to his use of racial bigotry, footage showed the 26-year-old physically punching Morgan; nearby residents came to her aid by tackling the man. According to Fox 8, another female near Morgan was also hit by the culprit.
Although what led up to the chaos hasn’t been revealed, Morgan said she tried to de-escalate a fight but was pulled to the ground by her hair. Once she attempted to defend herself, the Ohio woman said a man hit her whom she believed to be Walls.
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She was able to escape the ordeal but sustained injuries including a bruised lip and concussion. David Betras, Morgan’s appointed attorney, said the victim plans to file a lawsuit against Walls.
In Betras’ discovery, Walls supposedly is associated to White nationalist extremist group known as the Proud Boys. “I will use the courts as a sword to make sure the Proud Boys are thrown on the ash heap of history,” Betras told Fox 8.
In addition to the police’s investigation, the Akron Police Department says the FBI could get involved with the case. Walls may possibly face federal hate crime charges if found guilty. However, he pleaded not guilty to being in possession of a firearm while intoxicated and assault.
Walls was able to post bail after turning himself in and is now free on a $25,000 bond. He’s scheduled to appear in court on March 11. David Laughlin, Akron’s police captain, says the investigation is still ongoing.
“What’s next is just to get justice,” Morgan told New 5 Cleveland.