Man beaten by 10 men at EpiCentre is Army vet with serious injuries

The Charlotte man videotaped being beaten and stripped of his pants by 10 attackers during Charlotte’s violent protests is reportedly an Army veteran who suffered serious injuries during the attack, according to a GoFundMe account set up to raise money to cover his bills.

Video of the attack posted on the Internet earned worldwide coverage and condemnation amid the week of protests that erupted over the Sept. 20 fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, an African American Charlottean.

David Palmer, who has been named as the victim, spent seven years in the Army, including service in Afghanistan, said his sister, Ashley Warlick. She says her brother is in his first year acclimating back to civilian life and recently found work at an EpiCentre bar.

Palmer was in the EpiCentre’s garage trying to get home for the night when the attack occurred on Sept. 21, she says. Charlotte Mecklenburg Police investigators believe the victim was singled out because of his race: Palmer is white and the 10 attackers are African American.

“He had gotten separated from (others) as things started to get serious,” writes Ashley Warlick on the GoFundMe page. “He was jumped by 10 men that were attacking multiple victims and looting several businesses around the EpiCentre.

“They stole his phone and caused bodily injuries, not to mention the mental toll that it has taken. This is David’s first year as a civilian after serving seven years in the United States Army and also serving overseas. Not knowing how to adjust, he got a job (as a bartender’s assistant) at a local bar making quick cash until he starts school in the spring.”

Palmer is out of work now and will be undergoing surgery on Monday, Warlick said. He has a fractured eye socket and multiple broken bones in his face, she said.

“My little brother is my rock and seeing him go through such an awful situation is heart breaking,” Warlick wrote.

“I knew I couldn’t protect him while he was in Afghanistan, but never did I worry about our own streets.”

Investigators have made a first arrest in the case, charging Antonio Gatewood, 22, as one of the 10 attackers. He is charged with common law robbery, assault inflicting serious bodily injury, false imprisonment and ethnic intimidation.

Video of the attack from start to finish earned international media coverage, with many outlets noting the victim is on one knee and appears to be asking for mercy before being beaten.

The attack happened during the most violent night of uptown protests that erupted over the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. He was shot by police, who confronted him after observing him in a parked car with marijuana and a gun. Neighbors and residents have said Scott was harmless, and that the police shot him because he was black. Police said Scott was shot after he ignored commands to drop a gun.

Charlotte police detectives verified the beating took place at 10 p.m., Sept. 21, in the EpiCentre parking garage at 210 East Trade Street. The EpiCentre was heavily vandalized that same night and several businesses were looted.

Detectives put out a call for help identifying the victim in the attack late Monday, noting he had not come forward and filed a complaint in the incident.

The video has not been released by police, but it remains posted on You Tube in more than a dozen variations. The department has released images from the video to assist in identifying the victim and the suspects.

Detectives investigating the attack have compared video from the assault to video captured during looting at CVS and determined that some of the same individuals may have been present or involved.

The department has been using videos of the uptown protest to identify and arrest a growing number of suspects accused of participating in the vandalism and looting during the protests. As of Thursday, 82 arrests have been made and an additional 95 warrants have been signed, police said.

The GoFundMe account for Palmer was halfway to its $15,000 goal on Friday morning.

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Man beaten by 10 men at EpiCentre is Army vet with serious injuries."