A security camera on a Cincinnati Metro bus captured the shocking series of events as a man who intervenes in a fight ends up getting far more than he bargained for.
The footage, released by police to local TV station WTOV-9 in Steubenville, Ohio, was originally shot on August 31, on a public bus headed for Government Square.
It starts with a fight between two female passengers that quickly spills over into the aisles and other seats.
One of the passengers on that bus was 23-year-old Shahid Sylla, who was recording the incident on his iPad.
Eventually, he decides to intervene and break up the fight. Little does he know his decision kicks off an even stranger and more savage series of events.
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Another security camera captured the scene at the back of the bus as a large group of teens takes in the girl fight, laughing and hollering as the melee unfolds.
After the initial fight is broken up, two of the teens from the back of the bus move towards Sylla. One of the teens knocks his iPad out of his hands – and the assault is on.
Several of the teens move towards the front of the bus, joining in kicking and punching the beleaguered Sylla.
The vicious assault left him with his jaw broken in two places, so dazed that he was unable to identify any of his attackers to police after the bus driver called 911.
Police, however, were able to identify some of the men – because they were arrested later that night, incredibly enough for robbing another of the passengers on the bus.
We can see the older man sitting near the front of the bus, who gets off just as the original fight between the two girls is taking place.
According to police, they arrested 18-year-old Malik White later that evening for stealing the man’s bike – and that’s when they found Sylla’s stolen phone hidden in his sock.
On Thursday, A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Malik White, Shamir Crowder and Ladon Destefano as well as two teens on charges of felonious assault, aggravated robbery and aggravated riot.
Police are baffled as to what caused the escalation and, eventually, gang assault and robbery.
“They said they didn’t know why they did it, one said it’s because everyone else did,” Cincinnati Police Detective Mark Longworth told WKRC News. “I don’t think they know”.
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