‘Wreaking havoc’: Family of KC assault victim blasts involved youths, parents
A family member of an assault victim who was filmed being punched and kicked by a group in a parking lot near Longview Lake last weekend blasted the youths involved — and their parents — as an investigation into the incident continued Friday.
Natasha Walter, the stepmother of the man who was assaulted May 2, said the attack occurred at a “truck meet” where a large group of minors and young adults had gathered in a church parking lot near the intersection of Longview Parkway and Raytown Road.
“As a society, we are lacking compassion, empathy, and accountability — and that starts at home,” Walter wrote in a message to The Star. “It is heartbreaking to see our youth behave this way.”
“Parents need to ask themselves: do we truly know where our kids are, what they are attending, and what is happening at these truck meets?” she said. “There was underage drinking, large groups of unsupervised minors, and behavior that escalated into violence. This cannot keep being brushed off as ‘kids being kids.’”
Kansas City police released video of assault on Walter’s stepson Thursday as they asked for the public’s assistance in identifying those involved.
The video shows a person curled up on the ground as a group of people punch and kick him. At one point, the person gets to his feet before the attacks resume. Others can be seen watching and filming the incident. Walter posted additional videos from the incident on Facebook showing the victim being confronted and chased by a group as some laugh in the background.
Police also said the victim’s bicycle was stolen but was later recovered.
Walter wrote that she believed those involved in the assault on her stepson have been involved in other disturbances locally.
“These kids have been wreaking havoc around town, get caught by police, let go, and are out doing it again the next weekend because Jackson County does not do anything to punish minors,” she wrote.
Capt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department, said in an email to The Star Friday that investigators have received information from the public about the May 2 assault and were making headway in identifying those involved. But because detectives have not yet confirmed any identities, police could not confirm any connections to other crimes, he said.
Walter wrote that she hoped something “meaningful” would come from the incident involving her stepson.
“Not just justice, but real conversations between parents and children about their judgment, peers, and doing the right thing when someone is in danger,” she said.
