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Three suspects were arrested in the brutal beating of Patrick Myrick.
CBS Screenshot
A North Carolina university has launched an internal probe after one of its white officers reportedly handcuffed a black man who had been brutally beaten by four white people, CBS News reports.
The incident began off campus, but spilled into the East Carolina University, when the victim, who was running from the beating, was caught and beaten up again near a dining hall, according to a statement to students from Chancellor Steve Ballard.
“We understand the investigation thus far provides no confirmation that race played a role. We hope that to be the case, and we urge our campus and community to let the process work,” Ballard said in his statement.
The March 17 incident reortedly started when the victim, Patrick Myrick, allegedly hit a woman in the face and she fell to the ground. Several people reportedly rushed up on Myrick and began beating him up, before chasing him as he ran away, and beating him up again. According to police, Myrick suffered serious injuries and had to be taken to the hospital.
Three of the white suspects, Theresa Marie Lee, 25; Mack Humbles, 26; and Mark Privette, 33, were charged with felony assault, inflicting bodily harm. Police are still looking for the fourth suspect.
“We are appalled by the brutality of the incident. We will have zero tolerance for allowing these kind of things on our campus,” Ballard said during a press conference Thursday.
The university is reviewing the unidentified officer who handcuffed Myrick, who is currently on leave and not on campus. However, authorities have said that the officer did not use any violence against Myrick.
According to the report, officers could not charge Myrick with hitting the woman, because they would have to see the crime take place for a misdemeanor charge.
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