Family Allegedly Attacked, Brutally Beaten By Blacks With Brass Knuckles For Being White

A Memorial Day cookout took a horrific turn for the worse when an entire family was allegedly attacked and brutally beaten for being white. According to the Daily Mail, 36-year-old Paul Whitaker and his three special needs children visited his mother and his sister and her family for a cookout in the Juniata Park area of Philadelphia.

The day was going relatively well, but that changed when he and his children decided to leave. Whitaker, his autistic 6-year-old son, 12-year-old daughter diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and asthma, and Type-1 diabetic 14-year-old daughter were preparing to head home when his two daughters and their cousins were approached by a group of neighborhood girls. Apparently, Whitaker was well aware the encounter wouldn’t go well because his sister’s children have had past disagreements with the same girls. During a recent news interview with Daily News, he recounted how the altercation began.

“They were arguing, and I just told them all to get off the street,” Whitaker said. “I didn’t want them to get into a fight.”

Unfortunately, his effort to diffuse the altercation was in vain. Shortly after being asked to leave, the girls returned with even more people. Needless to say, this fight didn’t turn out like schoolyard fights most people would envision when they think of children sparring. This altercation was brutal and chaotic. In fact, Whitaker said that as he and his children attempted to leave, a group of approximately 20 people attempted to pull his mother and brother-in-law off the porch.

“They came down with a mission,” Whitaker said. “You could see in their eyes that they were ready to go.”

One of the male attackers allegedly beat his brother-in-law in the head with brass knuckles and it didn’t take long for others to join in. However, that’s not all. His two daughters were also brutally beaten. According to NBC Washington, an unnamed woman grabbed the 14-year-old by the hair and pushed her head against a rail near their porch. As the crowd continued the vicious assault, Whitaker attempted to intervene but was taken down by the group of attackers. The man wearing brass knuckles began beating him also. Whitaker’s head was repeatedly slammed against the concrete.

“When I went to the ground someone was kicking me and punching me,” Whitaker said. “There were so many people on the porch; there were fists and hands flying everywhere,”

Then, to make matters worse, not only did the man beat him, he allegedly turned his anger toward Whitaker’s 14-year-old daughter. His 64-year-old mother was also injured during the violent attack. She was reportedly rushed to a local hospital but no further information regarding her injuries has been released. Whitaker received five stitches above his right eyebrow. Although his daughters did not show substantial signs of physical injury, it has been reported that they are hysterical.

Whitaker’s ex-wife and mother of his three children, Trisha Pellicciotti, also weighed in with her thoughts on the shocking incident. She believes the brutal attack was a result of racism. Since the Whitakers are one of the few white families in the community, which consists of mostly African American and Latino residents, Pellicciotti has reason to believe the assault was a hate crime, reports Opposing Views. Whitaker also voiced his concerns about the daunting changes he’s seen in the neighborhood over the years. His mother has lived in the community for more than 40 years, but unfortunately, their surroundings have reportedly changed drastically.

“I just don’t understand this anger,” Whitaker said. “We grew up in that neighborhood; it’s completely changed around my mother’s house.”

Although Whitaker insists he and his children are the victims of an apparent hate crime, many of the neighbors argue a different perspective. Several neighbors and witnesses have argued that Whitaker’s daughters actually hit one of the girls involved. Others argue Whitaker actually started the fight that led to the family’s assault.

“If they said we’re racist it’s a whole bunch of crap,” an unnamed man said. “It’s not right. It’s going to cause a lot of chaos around the neighborhood.”

However, the claims have yet to be confirmed. The Philadelphia Police Department has confirmed that investigation will be conducted. However, no arrests have been made at this time. No further details have been released,

Do you think the brutal attack was the result of a hate crime? Share your thoughts.

[Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images]