Days after a viral video showing apparent members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club violently beating a Black man inside a Fort Wayne bar, community and law enforcement leaders called a press conference urging the community to be patient while the investigation unfolds.
Law enforcement and community leaders read from prepared statements in the rotunda of the Allen County Courthouse.
Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger says the department is actively investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI, to bring justice for the man who was attacked.
"We know emotions are high. We know the community is watching, and we want you to know we are listening," Hershberger said. "We are committed to truth, to justice and to doing what's right for everyone who calls Allen County home to the community at large, we see your concern, we hear your outrage, and we share your commitment to justice. No act of violence will be tolerated in our community."
The video was recorded in Pike’s Pub just before 11 p.m. Friday night. The bar sits just outside the Fort Wayne city limits in Allen County on Winchester Road.
In the video, a black patron is seen being punched, choked, and kicked by a number of white patrons. Some of those hitting the man are wearing vests emblazoned with insignias of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club.
The gang’s members have been arrested for everything from battery to drug trafficking.
During the assault, men are heard uttering racial slurs.
The victim of the fight did not want to provide information on individuals responsible for his injuries. The victim was transported by ambulance to an area hospital in fair condition, according to police.
The video angered many in the community, who have shown up at the bar in the days since and created a petition condemning the acts.
Wednesday's press conference gathered community leaders among the elected officials to speak to the need for patience and willingness to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
"Over the weekend, our community experienced a violent and deeply disturbing incident, one in which several individuals affiliated with a motorcycle gang brutally attacked an African American right here in our very own backyard," Hershberger said. "Let me be clear, while this was a violent assault on one individual, it was more than that.
"It was an attack on who we are as a community. An attack like this strikes fear, anger and pain into the hearts of many. And it does not just harm the person target. It sends a message of hate, intimidation and division that ripples across every neighborhood, every family and every person who calls Allen County home."
Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker mentioned other recent acts of violence within the community, including the shooting death of an 86-year-old woman inside her southeast side home over the weekend.
Tucker urged members of the community to come forward with any information about the bar attack and the other violence so that those responsible can be held accountable. In separate incidents in recent weeks a 7-year-old child was shot and an 86-year-old woman was killed inside her home .
"While those cases don't have videotapes that can give us the answers and solutions their families deserve and have a right to have their cases solved. So please, not just for this one that we saw on film, but for the ones that we didn't see on film as well," Tucker said. "Will you please share with us the details that you may have. If you know something, share it. That is the way that we will be able to solve these cases and to bring justice forward."
Community leader Roderick Parker said he did not want to let the incident at the bar define the character of his community.
"I've lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the majority of my life. My family and friends are here. People who represented exemplified the true diversity, the true definition of diversity. So once again, I say the incident at Pike's Pub, although it is going viral or not, it does not define who we are. This is an important teaching moment. Because of the riches and diversity of our community, we must all commit to learning and growing through this experience."
