Holly MatkinDetroit, MI – A 20-year-old man savagely attacked a 75-year-old man inside a Detroit nursing home last week, punching him repeatedly in the face during an assault that lasted for over a minute (video below).
The suspect set up a camera and recorded the horrific beatdown, and the footage caused outrage as it spread like wildfire across social media platforms.
The elderly man was sitting slumped-over on a bed at the beginning of the video.
The suspect immediately began hitting him repeatedly with both fists, punching him relentlessly until he began bleeding from his head.
“See this b–ch -ss n—-r here?” the suspect said, grabbing the camera to show the victim’s bloodied face. “Get the f–k off my bed, n—-r.”
The suspect paused momentarily to wipe the elderly man’s blood off with a white sheet.
“F–k wrong with you?” the suspect asked just before the video ended.
According to investigators, the attacker also posted footage that showed him beating a female patient who is confined to her bed, WXYZ reported.
Detroit police launched an investigation immediately after they were made aware of the video, and determined that the attack occurred at the Westwood Nursing Center on May 15, The Detroit News reported.
“The nursing home was unaware of the assault until they saw the video,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig said during a press conference on Thursday. “We are still investigating that aspect of the case, but we do have a suspect in custody.”
According to the law firm representing the nursing home, the unnamed 20-year-old attacker had been admitted for to the facility for rehab on a short-term basis, WDIV reported.
He has been arrested on charges of assault and battery.
The victim was transported to the hospital, where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries, WDIV reported.
“Westwood has been cooperating with the police and will continue to do so,” Midwest Legal Partners Managing-Attorney Saif Kasmikha said in a statement. “The safety, health, and well-being of our residents remains a top priority of Westwood. We will continue to monitor the situation.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said it was “deeply disturbed” by the video, WDIV reported.
The Department reiterated that the suspect “is not an MDHHS employee” and that the “attack did not occur at a department facility” as inaccurately perpetuated on social media.
“MDHHS staff are dedicated to providing the best possible care for the patients in our facilities,” the agency said. “MDHHS’s Adult Protective Services, which takes very seriously its duty to protect vulnerable adults from abuse, also gathered pertinent information resulting in identifying and locating the perpetrator and provided the information to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and law enforcement, which led to the arrest.”
The attack even prompted President Trump to respond.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content and Obscene Language: