Baltimore police have released body camera video on YouTube that shows a disturbance that took place last weekend in the Inner Harbor.
They made several arrests on Saturday after a large group of black teens flooded into the downtown area. Police said officers received reports of the black teens fighting.
According to witnesses, the teens also made threats and caused property damage.
“Footage from Baltimore Police body cameras and the downtown CitiWatch surveillance network shows groups of youths gathered Saturday night at the Inner Harbor randomly breaking into fights with each other — and at times committing more serious assaults,” reports Officer.com.
One body cam video shows a white man on the ground surrounded by African-Americans viciously beating him. Another video shows a black teen waiting to kick an unsuspecting white pedestrian in the head. The teen is then congratulated for his assault. Other footage shows chaos and running battles of the mob.
Another incident features a gang of black youths beating up a white male until an officer is able to intervene and pull them off of the victim.
Six people were arrested during skirmishes, according to Baltimore Police officials. They released footage of what happened in response to a request by the city’s daily, the Baltimore Sun.
“They were just randomly fighting with each other,” said Richard Worley, the Baltimore Police Department’s chief of patrol. Worley explained that such scenes were routine for officers, “similar to other events that occur in districts all across the city on any given night”.
The incidents involving black teens and young adults resorting to violence for indiscernible reasons, all appear to be racially motivated.
“Our officers don’t get rattled by this stuff anymore,” Worley said.
In March, police said fights broke out among a group of about 300 African-American teens, nine of whom were arrested, at an event at Eastpoint Mall. And more than two dozen black minors were charged with disorderly conduct on Easter after a carnival at Eastpoint was canceled.
Each incident appeared to follow the same pattern: A large groups of black teens gather in public and become violent, with police eventually making arrests and black communities members responding with harsh criticism.
Baltimore County Councilman Todd Crandell said the Easter teenage clash in March was caused by black teens flooding into white county areas to cause trouble. Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen denounced Crandell’s comments as “dog whistle racism”.
To our officers at the Harbor tonight:
Protect each other and don't fall into the trap that they are only kids. Some are criminals! Keep the current policies and Consent Decree in mind. If ordered to arrest put the name of the on-scene Commander in all reporting.
Mike Mancuso— Baltimore City FOP (@FOP3) May 26, 2019
Baltimore Police Department’s union president, Sgt. Mike Mancuso, told officers on Saturday that some youths were “criminals.” But City Councilman Ryan Dorsey argued that Baltimore makes its streets “inhospitable” to people, while Mayor Bernard Young called Saturday’s incident a “parenting question”.
Baltimore should have 400 young Black people hanging out at the harbor every night. In other cities, people on the street are considered a good thing, and such a number would be considered small. Baltimore makes its streets inhospitable to people, not the other way around.
— Ryan Dorsey (@ElectRyanDorsey) May 28, 2019
Following the incidents of violence, new curfews were imposed at several shopping malls and two spring carnivals have been canceled.