By Nicholas Stix
This incident reportedly took place on August 19.
Note that the second video’s reporter claims that Gary Leroy Johnson “cold-cocked” the 16-year-old who had just beaten his son, and shows a police captain spokesman saying, “You don’t have the right to defend yourself, if you’re the one starting the aggression.”
In fact, however, the second, longer video clearly shows the 16-year-old not only challenging Johnson to knock him out, but chest-bumping him, whereupon Johnson hits him. So, the kid started the aggression, and Johnson did not “cold-cock” him. “Cold-cock” means sucker punch. If I’m challenging someone to hit me, and chest-bump him, and he hits me, that is the furthest thing in the world from a sucker-punch. He merely fulfilled my demand.
As ridiculous as this may sound, a chest bump counts legally as assault. Granted, much of the time, chest-bumping is done for celebratory or friendly reasons, but if an enemy chest bumps you, you have the right to pop him.
Granted, Johnson had mouthed off to the kid first, and because the 16-year-old is a minor, the latter has license and Johnson is legally disenfranchised. And Johnson is a coward and a thug for beating the heck out of the kid while the latter was down, and then kicking him in the face, when the kid tried to get up.
These are some very stupid people, undeserving of sympathy.
But as stupid as this situation is, from a legal standpoint, given what I routinely report on, it is bizarre. All over the country, on a daily basis, racist black lynch mobs beat whites to a pulp, and are either not arrested at all, or are charged with misdemeanor assault, when they should be charged with riot, gang assault, hate crimes, and various and sundry other felonies. Even racist black thugs who are convicted, then typically get no time. (In the racially motivated attempted murder that was turned into the Jena Hoax, ringleader and primary attacker Mychal Bell got no time at all.) And because the crimes are radically undercharged as petty misdemeanors, they are not counted as index crimes (major felonies), and the authorities can continue telling their racial fairy tale, according to which urban crime is at a 40-year low. Meanwhile, Gary Leroy Johnson is looking at potentially being sentenced to 20 or more years in prison, and his offense will most certainly be counted as an index crime.
AOL: Gary Leroy Johnson, Florida Father, Referees Son's Fight, Pummels Teen Who Beat His Boy (Graphic Video)
First Posted: 9/1/11 10:55 AM ET Updated: 9/1/11 10:55 AM ET
A Florida father refereed a backyard brawl between his son and another youth, then pummeled the 16-year-old who fought his child, according to police.
Gary Leroy Johnson, 35, was arrested on charges of aggravated battery, child abuse and filing a false report after footage of the vicious beating appeared online.
Johnson allegedly organized a fight between his son and another youth behind his Palm Bay home on Aug. 19, according to CFNews13.
After his son quit fighting, Johnson -- described as 6-feet 5-inches tall and 220 pounds by WESH -- exchanged words with the other teen.
"You want to get knocked the (expletive) out by me, boy?" he asks the victim, according to The New York Daily News.
"I would like to see that," the teen replies, The Daily News notes.
Johnson can then be seen punching the teen, knocking him over. He hits the boy repeatedly while the victim is on the ground, then kicks teen in the head, on a longer version of the video posted by WESH.
A woman, identified as the teen's mother by CFNews13, can be heard shouting in an attempt to stop the fight.
The assault appears to end when Johnson's son pulls his father away from the victim.
Johnson told police he agreed to oversee his son's fight to make sure it was fair, ABC News reports.
Investigators believe Johnson lied to officers by claiming the teen was the aggressor -- despite video showing him striking the teen while he was on the ground.
Johnson was released on $35,000 bond. He has reportedly been suspended from his job as an emergency room technician.
[WESH version; click this link to see the longer video that AOL censored.]
Police: Video Shows Father Organized Fight, Beat Teen
Police Say ER Tech Punched, Kicked 16-Year-Old
POSTED: 9:56 pm EDT August 29, 2011
UPDATED: 4:36 pm EDT August 30, 2011
PALM BAY, Fla. -- A local father is in trouble after police said he set up a fight between his son and another boy, got involved himself and the whole thing was caught on video.
Palm Bay police said 35-year-old Gary Johnson organized a fight involving his own son. Then, jumped in for his son, but took the fight to a new level of violence.
Officers said the 16-year-old boy that Johnson fought with had just finishing brawling with Johnson's son.
Detectives said a witness to the fight caught the entire incident on video.
Investigators said the video shows Johnson pushing the teenager and shouting, "You want to get knocked the (expletive) out by me boy?" The teen replies, "Yeah."
[This leaves out the kid chest-bumping Johnson.]
Police said the 6 foot 5 inch; 220-pound emergency room technician then went face-to-face with the teen and threw the first punch.
Officers said the teen tried to defend himself but Johnson was able to knock the boy to the ground and hit him in the face two times.
In the video, a woman can be heard shouting at Johnson to let the boy go but Johnson then throws four more punches before kicking the teen in the jaw.
Police said the woman then screams in the boy's defense but the fight doesn't end.
The teen was able to get back on his feet but police said he was flattened by another punch before Johnson's own son pulled him away.
Shortly thereafter the teen gets back on his feet, bloodied and battered. Police said Johnson extends a handshake in the video but issues a final warning saying, "No one puts their hands on me. You know?"
The father now faces several charges including aggravated battery, child abuse and lying to police.
Officers said at first he claimed he never punched the teen once he was down on the ground. They said that video clearly proves otherwise.
Johnson was released from jail after paying $21,000 in bail.
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