A video of a mace assault against an unsuspecting Black man has resurfaced, and infuriated viewers are calling for justice five years later.
Back in October 2021, a white man who went by the username Hanzo (a character from the video game Overwatch) livestreamed his sneak attack.
In the shocking footage, reportedly streamed on Prism, Hanzo encountered the older man on a Los Angeles sidewalk at night and challenged him to a “Mortal Kombat”-style fight. The man quickly walked away, saying “I don’t want to fight you.”
But Hanzo persisted, trailing him down the street as the live chat feed egged him on, writing “mace him, mace him.” With the man’s back to him, Hanzo snuck up from behind and maced him, afterward saying, “Oops,” as the man struggled to recover.
Hanzo then entered a liquor store that he apparently frequented and pleaded with the employees for help, falsely accusing the victim of pulling a gun on him.
“Hey man, this guy is trying to shoot me with a gun. I know you know me,” he said, urging a store employee to call the police.
When the Black man wandered in, Hanzo deployed the mace again, prompting an employee to order him to leave. Suddenly, he turned the tables and screamed out, “Leave me alone!”
According to YouTubers Chadd Sinclair and Tom Dark, who both posted segments about Hanzo in 2021, this was not his first mace assault.
Reportedly, Hanzo was part of the controversial IP2 community, streamers known for using public harassment and pranks to gain clout and followers online — macing was his gimmick.
Clips reshared on YouTube allegedly show him macing several people, including an unhoused man at an encampment. He also allegedly used racial slurs in a separate altercation.
At the time, gamers online compared him to “Baked Alaska,” a far-right influencer and white supremacist, however Hanzo’s political views are unknown.
Rumors also swirled online about his true identity and that he faced legal troubles, but that information has not been independently verified.
After his videos went viral, he reportedly deleted his YouTube channel, but the internet has not forgotten. Many commenters on Atlanta Black Star’s Instagram are calling this a “hate crime.”
“Arrest him,” wrote one, echoing dozens of comments. Another added, “All the people in the [live feed] saying ‘mace him’ should be arrested too.”
