CLERMONT, Fla.,None — WFTV obtained video Friday of a vicious attack in a Walmart. A group of guys attacked a man inside the Clermont store who they wrongly suspected of being a snitch.
RAW SURVEILLANCE: Graphic Video Of Brutal Beating
Apparently, one of suspects mistakenly thought the victim had given up information in a criminal case. However, according to Clermont police, the victim was no snitch.
The man still took a beating. And, despite how violent the attack looks on video (watch it), the victim didn't suffer any long-lasting physical injuries.
Investigators say four young battery suspects picked about one of the most conspicuous spots around to commit their crime. The whole assault was captured Wednesday by a customer service surveillance camera at the Walmart on Johns Lake Road and Highway 27 in Clermont (see map).
The 18-year-old victim jumped the counter to try to escape the beating.
"The suspects thought the victim had testified against one of their friends in a criminal trial. It was a case of mistaken identity. He had nothing to do with it, we verified that," said Detective Brent Joyner, Clermont Police Department.
The suspects, who police say they have identified, were intent on reaching the victim. Even as security arrived and Walmart employees shouted they'd called police, the kicking and punching continued.
"He was very luck. He had a black eye, some bruising around his face, but no severe injuries, no broken bones," Joyner said.
Investigators said all four suspects will be charged with misdemeanor battery. But, when they jumped the store counter into a restricted area during the beating, it also became a burglary and police say that will mean felony charges for all four suspects.
Clermont police said they've already located one of the suspects; he's in jail on an unrelated charge. As for the others, they're hoping to have them rounded up soon.
WFTV
