Victim In McDonald's Attack Speaks Out
ROSEDALE, Md. (WJZ) -- The viral video has shocked tens of thousands of people. It shows a transgender woman beaten by two teenage girls at a McDonald's in Rosedale. It all happened while McDonald's employees laughed and videotaped the attack.
Derek Valcourt reports the victim calls it a hate crime and wants justice for her attackers.
The vicious assault captured on the cell phone camera of a McDonald's employee has outraged thousands across the country. The victim, 22-year-old Chrissy Polis---who's transgender---says the incident started as she was trying to use the restroom at the McDonald's. She told her story to our media partner, The Baltimore Sun.
"I went to go use the bathroom. Come back out, the girl spit in my face, said, `Are you trying to talk to my man?' I said, `No, I didn't even know that was your man at all.' The other girl came up, spit in my face, then they started ripping my hair, throwing me on the floor," Polis said.
Police have arrested a 14-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl they say attacked Polis. The 18-year-old has been identified as Teonna Monae Brown.
"They just seemed like they wanted to pick a fight that night, they really did. And come to find out that girl was only 14 years old. I was shocked," she said. "They kicked me in my face; they really hurt me really bad and I'm just afraid to go outside now because of stuff like this."
Only one McDonald's employee can be seen trying to intervene in the assault. Several others can be heard laughing. McDonald's says the employee who videotaped the attack has since been fired.
Meanwhile, Polis says she wanted to think the older female customer who stepped in to stop the attack seconds before Polis collapsed and had an epileptic seizure.
"If it wasn't for her, I probably would have had the seizure and they probably would have kept on continuing hurting me even more," she said.
The 14-year-old suspect has been charged as a juvenile. Police say they are still trying to determine whether to file hate crime charges.
Transgender advocacy groups are planning a rally in front of the Kenwood Avenue McDonald's on Monday at 7 p.m. to condemn the attack.
