A Missouri man has been charged with two felonies after a video showed a young boy being punched while dancing on a sidewalk last Friday night. According to the Cape Girardeau Police Department, he is not yet in custody.
Cedric, 27, is charged with second degree felony assault and first degree felony child endangerment because of the victim’s age, TMZ reports. Police say they identified him after reviewing video recorded by the boy’s dance instructor, Michael. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Police say they have been to his home and other places he is known to frequent but have not found him, and that his family and friends are not cooperating. A charge is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The boy’s mother, Stephanie, thanked police for taking the case seriously but said she will not feel relief until an arrest is made. A bond has reportedly been set at $50,000 cash, and she hopes no one posts it once he is in custody.
Many people online have called for a hate crime charge. Police said state law would only allow that charge if the assault were categorized at a lesser degree, which would not serve true justice for the victim.
According to reports, the boy, the instructor and another student were dancing on a street corner around 11:30 PM when a man pulled up, got out of a vehicle, danced with them for a moment and then punched the boy in the side of the head. The boy was knocked to the ground and suffered a concussion and a bloody nose, according to reports.
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