Westport assault victim was heckled before suspect ‘pistol-whippped’ her, charges say
An assault in Westport in late October began after one of the suspects said “nasty stuff” while the victims were walking to their car, according to charges filed by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Collin London and Daniel McQuarters, both 26 and from Kansas City, were charged with two counts of first-degree assault each after a man and woman were left unconscious on the 4000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. Videos and photos of the attack were widely disseminated online following the incident.
Attacked after ‘foul’ comments
According to charging documents, the male and female victims were walking to their car on Oct. 23 with another woman after a night out.
Around 2:45 a.m., one suspect, whom one victim described as a heavy set man wearing a white shirt, began making lewd comments. At this point, the suspect appeared to be by himself.
The victims and their friend continued walking, but the suspect continued to make comments to “get a rise out of them.” According to court documents, the male victim said to the suspect, “Come on, bro. You know that’s foul.”
The first suspect then became agitated, pushed the male victim and swung at him. After the male victim punched the suspect twice, the victim attempted to step back, the documents allege.
While the first suspect continued to attack, a second man with a gun joined in and hit the victim on the head from behind. At some point during the incident, the victim was wrestled to the ground and kicked in the head.
The female victim told police she then attempted to stop the attack when she was “pistol-whipped.”
The video shows the woman lying across the man, attempting to protect him, before she was hit with the gun. The woman fell unconscious from the blows.
Around 3:15 a.m., Kansas City police arrived after being notified by Westport security guards about the assault. KCPD officers found both victims unconscious, one bleeding from the head. Emergency medical services immediately transported the two victims from the scene.
Suspects identified by employer
After videos and photos of the incident began to spread on social media, the Kansas City Police Department posted a call on Twitter, asking for the public’s help identifying the suspects.
The search proved successful, according to court documents. Police received a message that same day from a manager of Ground Effects, a manufacturing plant in Kansas City. He said he believed the suspects worked for him.
An employee, who follows KCPD on Twitter, brought the video to the manager’s attention. The plant manager told police he would be notifying London and McQuarters of their suspension pending the investigation to ensure the safety of other workers.
Police contacted one of the victims, who verified that McQuarters was the heavy set man in the white shirt, and London was the man with the gun.
According to prosecutors, the female victim sustained a fracture to her cheek and jawbone, as well as a concussion. The male victim suffered a fracture to his eye socket and a concussion.
McQuarters’ arraignment has been scheduled for Nov. 28. A bond review for London will be held Nov. 21.
Bond for each man has been posted at $150,000.