Man who says he was attacked by white supremacists in Boston calls for investigation
BOSTON -- The man who says he was attacked by a group of white supremacists in Boston has a list of demands for the Mayor's office.
Mayor Michelle Wu says she met with Charles Murrell Wednesday afternoon after Murrell says he was assaulted by members of a hate group called "Patriot Front."
The Anti-Defamation League of New England said the alleged leader of the group, Thomas Rousseau, gave a speech in Boston. He was arrested earlier this month near a Pride event in Idaho. According to the ADL, Patriot Front believes their European ancestors conquered America and left it only to them.
The 34-year-old Murrell said he was assaulted by the group near the intersection of Dartmouth and Stuart streets. He told police he was surrounded by men carrying shields, and after a shoving match, he ended up with cuts on his head, hand, and eyebrow.
Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief Greg Long said officers didn't see the assault firsthand but "there's a lot of video that's been recovered and again, I mentioned this inside this meeting, there's a lot of detectives assigned to that in an effort to identify those individuals involved in this assault."
Reverend Kevin Peterson, a spokesperson for Charles Murrell, says the Mayor agreed to release any footage the city may have of the incident, including police body cam video. And they are calling for an investigation into the city's handling of the Patriot Front march, including how many police officers were on duty.
"He is generally optimistic, to the extent that this is something the city can learn from. It's a teachable moment for the people of Boston with regard to how much we can find a way towards racial repair and reconciliation," Peterson said.
Boston Police say they had no warning about the march ahead of time.
