Four men in their early 20s have been arrested for allegedly yelling racial slurs and assaulting a Black student in a dorm at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The Northampton County District Attorney’s office has charged Brandon John, 22, and Cameron Graf, 22, with simple assault and harassment; Michael Rosta, 21, with burglary and simple assault; and Nabil Jameel, 22, with simple assault.
The four suspects reportedly drove past the victim and shouted racial slurs at him as he was walking home with two of his friends around 2 a.m. on April 15.
The victim, who didn’t want his identity revealed, reportedly told police he ran toward the vehicle and hit the trunk with his hands after hearing the racial slurs. He then reached his hands in the back of the car and briefly touched one of the men before backing away and walking back home.
“The victim told the officers the vehicle then turned around and parked, and a group of males got out of the car and chased him and his two friends. The victim stated the group of males surrounded them just south of Packer Avenue and one of the males struck the victim before he was able to get away and run back to his residence hall on campus,” Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck said in a release.
After the victim returned to the dorm, he went to see a friend and then went to the bathroom. The victim said the four men were waiting on him and attacked him as he was leaving the bathroom.
The victim was able to get away and hide in a friend’s room. The men banged on the door where the victim was hiding but eventually left.
A witness told police that she was approached by one of the male suspects and he asked if she lived inside the dorm. The witness said she let the male inside the dorm because she assumed he was friends with someone living at the residence hall.
The witness told police she overheard the altercation and saw the male she let in banging on the door where the victim was hiding. She told police that she witnessed the male who was banging on the door pull out a small black firearm from his waist and cock it back. The witness also told police the male suspect was banging on the door with the gun.
Police stated they used security footage to view the incident and to identify both the vehicle and John as the driver. The police reportedly interviewed John, and he admitted to being involved in an altercation with the victim and identified the other three suspects, according to Houck. He added that the other three men also admitted to being involved in the incident.
“Northampton County has zero tolerance for this type of lawless behavior, and the defendants will absolutely face the consequences for their senseless actions. Students have a right to feel safe when they are on or around campus. I want to thank the Lehigh University Police for acting swiftly in their investigation to remove these individuals from our community,” Houck said in a press release.
The four suspects reportedly weren’t students and had no affiliation with the university.
