Brandon White's attorney has slammed the allegations from gay "activists" who have accused the young man of lying about knowing the three men who viciously attacked him and videotaped the beating.
The violent video of the February 4 attack quickly went viral across the internet. Twenty-year-old Brandon White could be seen leaving a store and ambushed by three young men who repeatedly called him a "faggot." White's cell phone was stolen in the robbery/beating.
Allegations surfaced late last week that the phone stored incriminating video evidence to "out" gang members on the "down low". Those stories are false, White's attorney tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"Brandon White did not know his attackers," his attorney, Christine Koehler, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The thought that we would watch a video that speaks for itself, and somehow flip it so that the men that beat my client are somehow victims of fraud is frustrating," she said. "Brandon stands by his assertion that he doesn’t know these gentlemen. It’s irrelevant because they won’t be prosecuted by a hate crime law that does not exist in Georgia."
One of the "activists" who accused White of lying is now backtracking, reports The GA Voice.
Devin Barrington Ward, who also was quoted on CBS saying that White should "come forward to right his wrong," said he was only responding to information that CBS presented to Change Atlanta. "We merely commented on information CBS brought to us. I guess that information came from Gary Nichols who said that there was a prior relationship [between White and his attackers]," Ward said in an interview today.
Accusing Brandon White of lying based on a news report? Meeting with the attackers' attorneys and family before an indictment or trial? With friends like these ...
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the assault. Seventeen-year-old Darael Damare Williams surrendered to Pennsylvania authorities on Thursday. Nineteen-year-old Dorian Moragne surrendered on Feb. 25. Eighteen-year-old Christopher Cain was arrested on February 11. All face charges of aggravated assault and robbery. Williams is awaiting extradition from Pennsylvania.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta and Federal Bureau of Investigation have joined the case. The suspects may face federal hate crimes charges because Georgia is one of only five states without a hate crimes law.
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I'm glad to hear that Brandon White's attorney has finally said that he did not know his attackers.
It's disturbing, however, that some "black gay activists" in Atlanta were so quick to throw Brandon under the bus when it was alleged a few days ago that he "knew" his attackers.
It's as if a black gay man has to be "perfect" in order to be considered a credible victim of gay bashing and/or discrimination based on sexual orientation. Who among us, after all, is "perfect"?
Posted by: elg | 27 February 2012 at 17:27
This is going to be interesting!
Posted by: Cleon | 27 February 2012 at 19:21
Is this one of those stories where at the end you get to choose your own ending???? Cause I dont know WHAT to believe right now......
Posted by: LightSkinBrhu | 27 February 2012 at 20:20
Chile please. This story gets messier and messier by the day. Blaming the victim and taking the word of some street trade. Those so called black gay Atlanta activists are a mess.
Posted by: Bourbon Street | 27 February 2012 at 23:56
I just cannot understand why the "gay activists" said anything about the actual facts of the case and scenario unless they were there. I mean the rush to judgment and running all up in the media - it is the same "bad look" - over and over time and again. SHUT UP! These so called "activists" may have damaged the Defense's case. Retract - in the age of internet you cannot take video back once it is out there. The have tainted this victims credibility. I'm too threw! Is the video from inside of the store? That's what the should have been trying to review. I swear monkeys would have just stayed up in the tree and ate a banana!
Posted by: Kirk | 28 February 2012 at 05:12