Wheeling man charged in River North attack
A Wheeling man has been charged in an attack on two men in Chicago's River North neighborhood last weekend as bystanders looked on and took videos.
Brandon Jefferson, 33, of the 400 block of South Allen Court, is accused of robbery, aggravated battery and having a stolen vehicle. Police are still looking for other suspects.
Jefferson is due in court Thursday.
Video from the city's POD security camera, first obtained by CWB, shows the scene on the 400 block of State Street around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
It starts with shoving and what appears to be some kind of street argument and quickly develops into a pile-on beating. There is no rush by bystanders or anyone else to stop the attack.
"The first one started beating him up. When he's done two started beating him up, and then four people beating him up," said William Salgado, a witness who works nearby. "The poor guy, he couldn't even stand up."
Once the men are down, the unflinching crowd rob their pockets, even dragging them men and stripping them of their shoes.
The Cook County sheriff's office will now have a more visible presence in the area, helping Chicago police.