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Editor’s note: Details of the story may be disturbing to some readers.
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — A video that surfaced on social media, depicting a boy being coerced to disrobe at gunpoint, reached the Chatham County Sheriff’s attention on Wednesday night.
The footage captures a scene where a boy is threatened with a firearm and compelled to undress in a public street. Throughout the clip, the gun-wielder directs the weapon at the boy’s face and delivers a blow with the gun at the video’s conclusion.
While information is currently scarce, Sheriff Richard Coleman informed WSAV that the video was recorded near Beach High School, specifically in the Liberty City area of Savannah, but not on the school grounds. The incident is said to have taken place on Wednesday afternoon.
NOTE: The following video may be disturbing to some readers.
Sheriff Coleman said that the boy in the video is believed to be okay.
Authorities suspect the individual with the gun is a minor, as reported by Sheriff Coleman. The suspect’s mother came forward to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday evening after viewing the video, turning her son in, Coleman noted.
Sheriff Coleman spoke exclusively with WSAV at the county jail and said that these kinds of behaviors will not be tolerated in Chatham County.
“Posting crimes on social media is always a concern,” stated Coleman. “It sends a concerning message to our community. However, as law enforcement, we are here to assert that we will not be intimidated or alarmed. We refuse to let our communities succumb to fear.”
He told WSAV that he can’t confirm or deny if the incident was gang related.
Sheriff Coleman indicated that the case has been passed to the Savannah Police Department (SPD), who subsequently released the suspect into his mother’s care.
“During the course of the investigation we were notified by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office that a mother brought her juvenile son to their facility in reference to the incident,” an SPD spokesperson said. “SPD in turn sent investigators to speak with the juvenile but he invoked his 5th Amendment Rights to remain silent. While he remains a person of interest, he was released due to a lack of evidence or an arrest warrant.”
Around 5:40 p.m., Mayor Van Johnson told WSAV that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of a juvenile in connection to this incident.
“We have a good relationship with the sheriff’s office. We appreciate their support, but there are criminal processes,” Mayor Johnson said. “A warrant was needed to be obtained to arrest him. That has been issued, and we are waiting for it to be executed.”
SPD has arrested the juvenile in question, a spokesperson announced Thursday night, a few hours after Johnson spoke with WSAV. He is being charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person under 18 and false imprisonment.
Coleman and Alderman Detric Leggett shared a strong message for those who are considering engaging in dangerous acts.
View the full interview here:
Additional information about the victim and suspect was not able to be released due to their ages.
WSAV will continue to bring you the latest information as we learn more.