A video of a man getting punched and kicked by a group of middle schoolers has since gone viral on social media. Cellphone footage of the fight shows kids and teenagers, many who still had their backpacks on, attacking a man outside a McDonald’s in Florida who was attempting to flee. However, there wasn’t much information about what led up to the confrontation and why a bunch of children would attack the man in the first place. But new details have emerged that provide much needed perspective on what happened.
More info about the viral brawl revealed
While the video widely circulated on social media in early September, the fight occurred on August 21 near a McDonald’s in Dania Beach. Deputies from the Broward Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident at around 3:30 pm the day, according to reports from Hoodline and CBS News Miami.
Footage of the fight compiled by local outlet WPLG shows several angles of the incident. One perspective shows the man struck in the back of the head by one male, causing him to tumble forward on the sidewalk. Another person helps him up and fends off a teenager who kicks the man in the back.
A separate angle shows the man in the middle of the road getting surrounded by four students who pummel him on the street. More students join the crowd while he attempts to flee further into the road as multiple vehicles honk their horns.
Yanelle Perez, a parent at Olsen Middle School, was in the middle of picking up her kids when she witnessed the fight.
“They took his food, beat him up, and he fell on the floor,” she said. “They had to have two older gentleman stop it because the man, he couldn’t. There was like 10-15 kids on top of him.”
Patrick Utter, the owner of Shenanigans Sports Bar that is close to the McDonald’s, helped the man during the fight and tried to break it up.
“A guy that maybe had mental health issues, drinking, went into the McDonald’s and he said something wrong,” Utter said. “He incited a bunch of young kids, and they followed him out here on the U.S. 1 corridor. The U.S. 1 corridor is a little bit rough over here, and more importantly, these kids that are passing through here could use some supervision.”
New details say the man provoked the students in the McDonald’s
The Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the man threatened to fight the kids when they were all inside the McDonald’s. An employee of the restaurant told CBS News Miami off camera that the man had made racist remarks at the students and continued to instigate them until the fight occurred outside.
That said, deputies are still investigating whether the conversations made inside the restaurant justified the fight in the first place. They are still looking for a statement from the man, who was not at the scene when police arrived. The Broward Sheriff’s Office has not made any arrests in connection with the fights.
The principal of Olsen Middle School, Janet Giancarli, released a statement that supports the students: “An adult male approached the students and initiated a physical confrontation outside of the restaurant. The Broward Sheriff’s Office responded and investigated. No one was injured.”
“We understand that a video of this incident is now circulating on social media and is concerning,” it continued. “While the incident did not occur on school grounds or during the school day, we take any situation involving our students seriously and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement regarding this matter.
It is unclear whether the students who participated in the fight will face disciplinary action from the school.
Employees of the McDonald’s were seen telling students of Olsen Middle School that they were not allowed in the restaurant.
