People of all races are expressing outrage over a videotaped incident that shows multiple white men at a bar in the Fort Wayne, Indiana, area beating a Black man while they call him the “n word.”
The incident, filmed late Friday night at Pike’s Pub in an area just outside Fort Wayne, grows so violent that at least one chair is thrown at the Black man. So far, a petition calling on local officials to pursue charges had generated 4,183 signatures as of early Tuesday afternoon.
Multiple officials and agencies were contacted for this piece but could not be reached. The telephone at Pike’s Pub rang without being answered on Tuesday. There was no voicemail capability active on the phone.
However, a statement released by the office of Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger indicated that sheriff’s officers responded to the incident, and that the “victim was transported by ambulance to an area hospital in fair condition.” The statement also indicated that the “victim” did not want to identify the people who assaulted him.
A Change.org petition launched by a local community volunteer identifies the victim as James Simmons. A post on a Facebook page that appears to belong to a James Simmons of Fort Wayne, Indiana, thanks the public for their support.
“James appreciates everyone who has supported him, and he’s genuinely grateful for the love and concern he’s received,” the post reads. “He still feels emotionally distorted, between gratitude and grief. He’s doing his best to sort through the pain and confusion, but it’s a slow, overwhelming process.”
The post continues, “The support means everything to him—he’s just still finding his way through the aftermath. Despite the emotional weight, James wants it to be known that he will be taking them to court, seeking justice for what happened.”
Bar owner Kelley Rost, who said she was not at Pike’s Pub at the time of the incident, told WANE 15, “There are two sides to every story.”
Black News & Views is opting not to share the video because we do not have permission from the witness who recorded it.
While there seemed to be questions as to which jurisdiction was responsible for following up on the incident, Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker, the first Black woman to hold the job, released a video statement on Monday promising that justice would be served. She said she has confidence in the Allen County Sheriff’s Department to provide that justice.
“If you commit a crime in Fort Wayne, you will be found and we will prosecute you,” Tucker said. “We are focused on making Fort Wayne a family friendly, safe community and your safety is our first concern.”
This incident comes as Black Americans say they believe that racially motivated verbal and physical attacks against them are on the rise, in person and on social media. Federal statistics seem to support some of this. In 2023, the most recent year for which data is available, the numbers of hate crimes rose, and crimes against Black Americans made up 51.3% of those crimes—more than three times higher than the next highest category, according to the FBI.
Sarah Goings-Almo, a Fort Wayne resident who has been sharing the Change.org petition on social media, told Black News & Views that racial tension is nothing new in her community.
Goings-Almo said the recent attack “is a stark reminder of the deep-seated issues that have been simmering beneath the surface for decades.”
She added, This incident along with the thousands of comments online concerning this situation highlight the disturbing trend of racism in our community. The trend has seen racism shift from covert to overt, mirroring a broader national pattern.
