A disturbing video recently posted online shows a man sucker punching an older man at Boston Common and a group of youths robbing the apparently unconscious victim.
The video was posted by various people on YouTube. According to the descriptions and a person there who provided images to Metro, the assault occurred just before 6 p.m. Friday.
Video shows the man walking around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on a hill near Frog Pond. The spot was a gathering point for dozens of people who attended a spontaneous marijuana rally on April 20. The date is observed by some as a day to celebrate marijuana use.
The unidentified man is shouting as he walks around the monument.
“He’s a racist? Then get him the [expletive] out,” the man shouted as he approached the group.
The older man then walked up to an unidentified young man.
“You calling me a racist, man? You better [expletive] relax,” the young man said.
The two confront each other for about 45 seconds before a third man, who was crouching behind the young man, punches the older man in the face.
The older man fell backward, apparently unconscious.
Another young man ran up and searched through the man’s pockets while another person dumped a bottle of water on the man’s shorts.
Boston Police said Sunday that they had not received a report of the incident; however, there were police officers on walking beats in the Common that day.
A police spokeswoman said they would like to see the victim come forward and file a report.
While the descriptions of the videos posted online said the assault occurred during “Hempfest,” also known as the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition’s Freedom Rally, it was not.
The Freedom Rally is also held on the Common, but it takes place in September.
Bill Downing, the treasurer of the coalition, said a spontaneous gathering usually occurs on the Common on April 20.
He said he attended one in 2011, but not this year’s gathering.
“I was there at last year’s 420 rally. People were just cheering and smoking pot,” Downing said. “I’m surprised. We usually don’t hear of violence at events like this.”
The video below is graphic and contains cursing:
