Viral video causes Mesa police to reopen case
Mar 19, 2014, 11:15 AM | Updated: 11:15 am
PHOENIX — Mesa police closed the case on a street fight after one of the people involved refused to cooperate, but a new video has changed their mind.
The video was posted to YouTube Monday and showed a fight at the Quiktrip at Broadway Road and Valencia between a white male and a black male. The two exchange expletives until the fists begin to fly.
At the end of the video, the white male is seen sitting atop the black male, repeatedly punching him in the back of the head.
Police said the fight occurred on March 14. They contacted the black male in the video, who refused to cooperate and did not want to file a report.
However, after police were informed of the video going online, they decided to reopen the case and said they “simply need time” to investigate further.
The other person involved has not been contacted.
The video had nearly 200,000 views in a 24-hour period before it was pulled from YouTube.