A Dallas-based reporter captured a violent scene at a protest late Saturday night in which a man was injured after he reportedly tried to defend a commercial property from looters.
Elijah Schaffer of Blaze TV first shared video on Twitter of what the reporter said was a man being hit with a skateboard and rocks after he “attempted to defend a shop with a large sword.”
“Looters ran at him, then he charged rioters,” Schaffer said on Twitter, reporting his own observations. “They then beat him with a skateboard and stoned him with medium sized rocks.”
The graphic video shows the man injured and bleeding on the ground.
WARNING: The below videos include disturbing images.
BREAKING: man critically injured at Dallas riots
It appears he attempted to defend a shop with a large sword
Looters ran at him, then he charged rioters
They then beat him with a skateboard and stoned him with medium sized rocks
I called an Ambulance and it’s on the way pic.twitter.com/kFxl3kjsBC
— ELIJAH (@ElijahSchaffer) May 31, 2020
Citing a Dallas police statement, another reporter said on Twitter that the man had been carrying a machete.
Dallas Police just released new information about that graphic video showing an attack in Victory Park.
"The victim confronted protesters while holding the machete and was subsequently assaulted by the protesters." pic.twitter.com/Vl9Y3X38za
— Ryan Wood (@RyanWoodDFW) May 31, 2020
CBS-Dallas Fort Worth reports that the man was taken to the hospital before officers arrived. Schaffer shared a photo on Twitter of volunteers providing medical help to the injured man. The reporter’s tweets initially suggested that the man was critically injured and that his life was possibly in danger, but police sources have said only that he is in stable condition.
Here is the critically injured man being tender to by volunteer medics pic.twitter.com/Jxahufu66B
— ELIJAH (@ElijahSchaffer) May 31, 2020
Full unedited video for editorial requests. Please attribute to Elijah Schaffer of Blaze TV. I cannot confirm he was the store owner, but I pulled out my camera when I saw him appearing to defend a store, then he was rushed, then made the move that might have cost him his life pic.twitter.com/8oGa2obBbp
— ELIJAH (@ElijahSchaffer) May 31, 2020
The investigation is ongoing. CrimeOnline will provide further updates when more information is available.
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[Feature image: Video screenshot/Elijah Schaffer of Blaze TV]