Hate crime and kidnapping charges were filed Thursday against four people who Chicago police say bound, gagged and beat a teenager with special needs while broadcasting the attack on social media. Trina Orlando reports. (Published Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017) 
 
 Hate crime and kidnapping charges were filed Thursday against four people who Chicago police say bound, gagged and beat a teenager with special needs while broadcasting the attack on social media. 
 
 The brutal attack, which had political and racial connotations — the victim is white, and the suspects are black — sent shockwaves across the nation, and was even addressed at the White House press briefing Thursday. 
 
 "The actions in that video are reprehensible. That along with racism have absolutely no place in the city of Chicago or anywhere else for that matter against anyone regardless of their race, gender, state of mental health or any other identifying factor," Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Thursday. 
 
 Thirty minutes of the torturous attack were streamed live on Facebook, but authorities said it was a six-hour ordeal that evolved out of a play fight, with the victim beaten, kicked, cut and forced to drink from a toilet. 
 
 The victim, who is not being identified, is an 18-year-old with "mental health challenges" from Crystal Lake. 
 
 Jordan Hill, 18, of Carpentersville; Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Chicago; Brittany Covington, 18, of Chicago and Tanishia Covington, 24, of Chicago, were each charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Hill, Cooper and Brittany Covington also face charges of residential burglary. Hill was also charged with robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. 
 
 They are expected to appear in court Friday afternoon; it is not clear if they have attorneys. 
 
 The two men and two women were taken into custody Wednesday after being seen violently beating a teenager on Facebook Live. The suspects are black and the victim is white, and one of the suspects suspects allegedly yelled profanities about white people and President-elect Donald Trump during the live video. Police had earlier said they do not "have anything concrete" to suggest the attack was politically motivated, however. 
 
 A second potential video in the attack is being looked into by police, showing the group forcing the teen to drink toilet water. 
 
 “It’s just sickening, sickening,” Johnson said Wednesday in reaction to the video. "It makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like that." 
 
 Speaking at a news conference Thursday evening, the victim's brother-in-law said the teen is doing "as well as he could be" and asked for "continued prayers for all those involved and for our family’s privacy as we cope and heal." 
 
 From left to right: Tanishia Covington, Brittany Covington, Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper 
 
 Photo credit: CPD 
 
 A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the site removed the original video, saying in a statement, "We do not allow people to celebrate or glorify crimes on Facebook." 
 
 "In many instances, though, when people share this type of content, they are doing so to condemn violence or raise awareness about it. In that case, the video would be allowed," the statement read. 
 
 Authorities believe the teenager knew Hill from school and went with him willingly on New Year's Eve after meeting at a suburban McDonald's. They allege Hill stole a van and picked the victim up from the Streamwood restaurant, ultimately bringing him to the city, 50 miles from his home, police said. 
 
 The victim's parents knew the teen would be spending the night with a friend, but reported him missing the next day, police said. 
 
 It wasn't until Tuesday police said the attack happened and the teen was able to escape before police found him in the 3400 block of West Lexington "bloodied," "battered," and "discombobulated." 
 
 He then led the police back to the nearby home where he was tortured. 
 
 "I just can't believe anybody would do that to someone, especially a special needs child," the victim's grandmother told NBC. 
 
 Streamwood authorities also say the suspects had been sending the victim’s parents text messages while holding him hostage. 
 
 "This is going to affect him for probably the rest of his life," the teen's grandmother said. ||||| EMBED More News Videos The family of the special needs man brutally tortured by four people while they streamed it live on Facebook spoke out for the first time Thursday. 
 
 EMBED More News Videos Four people are facing hate crime, kidnapping and other charges in connection with the brutal torture of an 18-year-old man with special needs that was streamed live on Facebook. 
 
 Four people were charged Thursday in connection with the brutal torture of an 18-year-old man with special needs that was streamed live on Facebook Jordan Hill, 18, of Carpentersville; Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Chicago; Brittany Covington, 18, of Chicago; and Tanishia Covington, 24, of Chicago; were each charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the Cook County state's attorney. Hill, Cooper and Brittany Covington were charged with residential burglary. Hill was also charged with robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Chicago police detectives laid out the timeline of events that led up to a man being tied up, kicked, beaten, yelled at, slashed and forced to drink toilet water - all of which was streamed live on Facebook.Police said they don't know the motive behind the apparent torture or the suspects' decision to stream it. At one point, the teens, who are black, told the victim, who is white, to say he loves black people.The suspects also made a string of profane statements about President-elect Donald Trump. At one point, a suspect is heard telling the victim to, "Say f*** Trump b****. F*** Trump. Say F*** Trump."Police said they investigated the attack as a hate crime and the state's attorney agreed it met those standards by approving the charges."Let me be very clear, the actions in that video are reprehensible. That alone with racism have absolutely no place in the city of Chicago or anywhere else for that matter," Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said.The victim, who is from northwest suburban Crystal Lake, was reported missing from nearby Streamwood by his parents on Monday. Police said they had not heard from him since Saturday, when they dropped him off at the McDonald's near Schaumburg and Barrington roads to meet up for a sleepover with Hill. Police said the two were "acquaintances" who met at a school in Aurora.Unbeknownst to the victim, investigators said Hill had stolen a van prior to picking him up at McDonald's. Investigators said the pair then drove around for the next two days, visiting friends and sleeping in the van. It wasn't until Tuesday that police said Hill brought the victim to an apartment in the 3400-block of West Lexington Avenue in the Homan Square neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.Investigators said the victim told them he got into a "play fight" with Hill that escalated when two of Hill's acquaintances, the Covington sisters, became aggravated with him."That's when they tie him up and when the racial slurs and, you know, the deference to his mental capacity starts coming out. That's primarily one of the reasons they were charged with the hate crime," said Cmdr. Kevin Duffin, Chicago Police Dept.Police said the victim was left tied up in the corner for four to five hours. Streamwood police said the victim's parents received text messages from people who claimed to be holding him captive.When a downstairs neighbor complained about the noise and threatened to call 911, police said the Covington sisters kicked in her door and stole something. That prompted the neighbor to call police and gave the victim the opportunity to escape, investigators said.Police said an officer came upon the victim wandering on Lexington on Tuesday evening wearing a tank top inside out and backwards, jean shorts and sandals. He was observed by an officer to be confused and bleeding, who later learned he had been reported missing two days earlier in Streamwood."He was bloodied and battered and due to the cold weather conditions, I approached him for a field interview," said Officer Michael Donnelly, Chicago Police Dept. "He was discombobulated, he was injured, he was confused."Investigators said they do not believe the attack was premeditated, but may have escalated under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Police said they decided to pursue hate crime charges considering the "totality" of the victim's diminished mental capacity, the fact that he was bound, and racist statements made on the video.Police said the victim is now at home in Crystal Lake and is expected to make a full recovery. His family said they had all seen the video in a brief press conference Thursday evening."We're so grateful for all the prayers and efforts that led to the safe return of our brother. We're fully aware of the charges being brought against the offenders. At this time, we ask for continued prayers for all those involved, for our family's privacy as we cope and heal," said David Boyd, the victim's brother-in-law.When asked about the victim's condition, Boyd said: "He's doing as well as he can be at this time."A group of West Side ministers spoke out Thursday to condemn the brutal attack. They said they were called to act after hearing from their congregations. They said they will pray for and donate to assist the victim."This is not who the West Side is. This is not a representation of the African American race in Chicago at all," said Rev. Ira Acree, Greater St. John Bible Church."Sin is a reproach to any people. But we also condemn the use of social media to highlight this," said Rev. Walter Arthur McCray, National Black Evangelical Association.In an interview with ABC7's Judy Hsu , President Barack Obama addressed the attack, calling it "horrific" and "terrible.""Part of what technology allows us to see now is the terrible toll that racism and discrimination and hate takes on families and communities. But that's part of how we learn and how we get better. We don't benefit from pretending that racism doesn't exist and hate doesn't exist. We don't benefit form not talking about it. The fact that these things are being surfaced means we can solve them," Obama said.A Facebook spokesperson released this statement Thursday: "We do not allow people to celebrate or glorify crimes on Facebook and have removed the original video for this reason. In many instances, though, when people share this type of content, they are doing so to condemn violence or raise awareness about it. In that case, the video would be allowed."Facebook's community standards with regard to Facebook Live state, "We understand the unique challenges of live video. We know it's important to have a responsible approach. That's why we make it easy for people to report live videos to us as they're happening. We have a team on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, dedicated to responding to these reports immediately."All four suspects will appear in bond court around 1:30 p.m. Friday. The victim's family said they have not yet decided if they will attend. For now, they said they're focused on "trying to stick together as a family." ||||| Already garnering unwelcome attention for its spiraling gun violence, Chicago was thrust into the national media spotlight Thursday as hate crime charges were filed against four kidnapping suspects accused of broadcasting a live Facebook video of their attack on a mentally disabled man while yelling obscenities about Donald Trump and "white people." 
 
 The racially charged video showing the assailants cutting the 18-year-old victim's scalp with a knife, punching and kicking him and laughing as they repeatedly forced his head into a toilet, was aired on news stations worldwide and prompted strong reaction from political leaders of every stripe. 
 
 It also marked a shocking level of brazenness even at a time when smartphones can be used like satellite feeds. While criminal investigations have increasingly included evidence from social media posts, live broadcasting a crime in progress is exceedingly rare — let alone an allegedly racially motivated attack. 
 
 "I can't understand why anybody put anything on Facebook," Near North Area Commander Kevin Duffin said when asked about the video at an afternoon news conference at Chicago police headquarters. 
 
 Chicago police speak to the news media about the attack of a man with special needs that was captured in a Facebook Live video and the resulting charges filed against four people suspected of the attack. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Chicago police speak to the news media about the attack of a man with special needs that was captured in a Facebook Live video and the resulting charges filed against four people suspected of the attack. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) SEE MORE VIDEOS 
 
 President Barack Obama called the news from his hometown "despicable" and said the Internet has exposed long simmering racial tensions. 
 
 "What we have seen as surfacing, I think, are a lot of problems that have been there a long time," Obama told Chicago's WBBM-TV Ch. 2 in a prearranged interview in Washington. "Whether it's tensions between police and communities, (or) hate crimes of the despicable sort that has just now recently surfaced on Facebook." 
 
 Charged in the attack were Jordan Hill, 18, of Carpentersville; Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Chicago; and sisters Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, who lived in an apartment in the 3300 block of West Lexington Street where the assault allegedly took place. 
 
 The four — who are all African-American — were each charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to police. Hill also was charged with robbery, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and residential burglary, while both Covingtons were charged with residential burglary, police said. 
 
 Police said all four have given statements admitting to their roles in the alleged attack. They're scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Friday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. 
 
 Late Thursday, David Boyd, who identified himself as the victim's brother-in-law, said in a brief statement to reporters that the family was grateful for "all the prayers and efforts" that led to his safe return. 
 
 "He's doing well, as well as he could be at this time," Boyd said. He said "everyone has seen the video" but declined to comment on what he thought of it. 
 
 "We appreciate all the support from everyone," Boyd said, adding they were focused on "trying to stick together as a family." 
 
 Facebook Live video posted on Jan. 3, 2017, shows the verbal and physical attack of a mentally disabled man. The Chicago Tribune edited this video to protect the victim's identity and for time. (Warning: Contains graphic content) Facebook Live video posted on Jan. 3, 2017, shows the verbal and physical attack of a mentally disabled man. The Chicago Tribune edited this video to protect the victim's identity and for time. (Warning: Contains graphic content) SEE MORE VIDEOS 
 
 Police said the victim, who is white, was found walking with Hill in the 3400 block of West Lexington Street about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday. The victim appeared "injured" and "confused" and was wearing little clothing despite the freezing temperatures, police said. 
 
 "I observed him wearing a tank top, inside-out, backwards, jean shorts and sandals on," Harrison District Officer Michael Donnelly said at the news conference. "He was bloodied. He was battered. He was very discombobulated." 
 
 Police ran his name and discovered he'd been reported missing Monday by his parents, who said he disappeared after they dropped him off at a McDonald's in suburban Streamwood to meet up with Hill on Saturday. Police said Hill knew the victim because they had attended the same school in Aurora. 
 
 According to police, Hill had stolen a van in Streamwood before picking up the victim and passed it off as his own. He and the victim then drove to Chicago's West Side, visiting with friends for two days. The victim slept in the van before being brought to the Covington sisters' apartment on West Lexington on Tuesday, police said. 
 
 Hours into the visit, the victim and Hill got into a "play fight" that got out of hand, police said. The sisters got angry and tied the victim up, according to police. 
 
 "That's when the attack begins," said Duffin, the police commander. 
 
 The chilling Facebook video shows the victim crouched in a corner and mostly motionless with an expression of fear on his face. His mouth is taped shut and his hands and feet appear to be bound with orange electrical tape. 
 
 The 28-minute video is recorded by and focuses mostly on the face of Brittany Covington, who smokes what appears to be a blunt — a cigar emptied and stuffed with marijuana — while narrating some of the action. Liquor bottles appear to be sitting on a windowsill of the sparsely decorated apartment, along with a crumpled bag of chips. 
 
 As the group laughs and music plays in the background, Covington pans from her face to the victim and back. The two men can be seen cutting the victim's shirt with knives, then taking turns punching him and kicking his head. One of the men cuts the victim's hair and scalp with a knife, and the victim's head appears to be bleeding. Later, they pretend to tap ashes in the wound while Covington laughs. 
 
 As the attack continues, someone off camera shouts "F--- Donald Trump" and "F--- white people." About 15 minutes into the video, one of the men says the victim "represents Trump," and threatens to put him in the trunk of a car and "put a brick on the gas." 
 
 A later clip shows the victim kneeling over a toilet while his assailants force his head into the water and order him to drink. 
 
 At one point in the video, Covington can be heard telling the rest of the group that her little sister doesn't "think it's funny." She also expresses mock disappointment in the attention the live feed is getting on Facebook. 
 
 "Y'all ain't even commenting on my s---, man!" she says into the camera.
– Four people have been arrested and charged with a hate crime in the beating of an 18-year-old with mental disabilities that was broadcast on Facebook Live in what a police rep is calling a "reprehensible" 30-minute video. The man's parents had dropped him off at a McDonald's in Streamwood, Ill., on Saturday, and police believe acquaintances took him to Chicago in a stolen vehicle. His parents reported him missing on Monday and subsequently began receiving text messages from someone "claiming to be holding him captive," police say, per the Chicago Tribune. Officers soon after found the video showing people cutting the shirt of a white man with tape over his mouth, cutting into his scalp, kicking and hitting him, forcing him to drink from a toilet, and yelling "f--- Trump" and "f--- white people," reports Fox 32. The man, found wandering a Homan Square neighborhood on Tuesday, was "traumatized" after at least 24 hours in captivity and taken to a hospital for treatment. Two men and two women—including one individual who went to school with the victim—have now been arrested, reports CNN. "It's sickening. It makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like that," says Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. The group in the video had expressed hope that it would go viral. Charged with a hate crime, as well as kidnapping, unlawful restraint, and battery with a deadly weapon, per WLS: Tanishia Covington, 24, and Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper, and Brittany Covington, all 18. Cooper and Brittany Covington were also charged with burglary, while Hill got hit with that plus a robbery charge, NBC News reports. All four are expected in court on Friday.