New Pictures Show Suspects In Brutal Attack On Police Employee, Advocates Want Hate Crime Investigation

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- WJZ has obtained pictures that show the faces of three suspects in the assault early Wednesday morning on a 59-year-old man who works at the Baltimore Police Department.

More than $30,000 in reward money is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

WJZ was first to obtain the video, which shows the victim being surrounded on Albermarle Street not far from police headquarters. All three of the suspects were on scooters. One ditched his scooter as he approached the man.

The victim was repeatedly kicked and punched. One suspect stomps on his head then searches his pockets. Police say his keys and vehicle were stolen. They left him in the street.

'Extremely Shocking': Brazen Attacks Caught On Camera Around Baltimore, Reward Being Offered

"There has to be some consequences. Some accountability," said Baltimore City Mayor Jack Young. 

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren spoke to Imam Hassan Amin who said he learned through a friend that the unidentified police department employee is now out of the hospital.

"He's resting. He's recuperating right now," Imam Amin said. "That could be any of us. Just walking from home or to work and then all of a sudden we are attacked unprovoked. Watching that video turned my stomach. Baltimore really needs to wake up any of us could be next."

Amin joined other faith leaders calling for this to be investigated as a hate crime — in part because the victim was wearing religious headwear that was knocked from his head.

Nihad Awad, the National Executive Director of the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR), spoke at the scene of the assault.

"It could be a robbery, but we should not rule out whether this was a hate crime. He was dressing religiously. He had the religious attire. His kufi was knocked down in this brutal assault," Awad said. "We ask police and investigators not to rule out any bias motivation in this."

CAIR pledged a one thousand dollar reward.

"We're telling him that we are here for him. And we're here to say we're not going to tolerate a brutal attack on an innocent person," Awad said.

Rabbi Etan Mintz of the B'nai Israel Downtown Synagogue added another one thousand dollars to the reward.

"This wasn't just a crime of convenience," Rabbi Mintz said. "You saw that brutal attack — constantly hitting him over and over again. This gentleman's head went straight to the pavement."

Police said they are investigating a number of angles, including looking at the scooters the suspects were riding. Two appeared to be riding on Lime scooters. They were initially on Lombard Street before turning onto Albermarle.

Lime has reached out to BPD to offer help. We've learned they typically do not provide rider data unless there is a subpoena.

Deputy Police Commissioner Michael Sullivan said the victim was "doing well physically" but that the "trauma lives on long after such an event."

He is the second civilian police employee attacked in less than a week.

"The message is no one should feel unsafe walking through the streets of Baltimore because of who they are," said CAIR's Awad. 

Anyone with information is asked to call 410-366-6341 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.

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