A North Carolina man is facing criminal charges for allegedly assaulting three girls after a video reportedly showed him punching an 11-year-old girl outside a mall on Saturday.
According to the Asheville Citizen Times, David Steven Bell, 51, was charged with two additional counts of assault as he’s accused of pushing two 13-year-old girls. An incident report regarding the footage described Bell as being 6 feet, 5 inches and weighing 250 pounds while characterizing the unidentified victim as being much smaller.
Though it’s unknown what preceded the altercation, Bell is seen pushing and striking the preteen girl before she fell to the ground. WHNS reported that an off-duty officer took Bell into custody.
Bell is due in court on February 3. A spokesperson for the Asheville Mall said they’re reviewing the January 12 incident to decide whether any changes in protocol are necessary.
“Some measures are visible to the public and others are not,” spokeswoman Catharine Wells said regarding steps to ensure security at the mall. “In addition to maintaining a full-time professional security team, we partner with the Asheville Police Department and hire off-duty officers to patrol the interior and exterior of the property.”
***WARNING: The video below is violent in nature. Please use discretion.***
[Featured Image: YouTube video screengrab]
