A 23-year-old white Chicago man was charged with three counts of misdemeanor battery early Tuesday afternoon after an altercation was caught on video showing him spit on a black man and calling another a “slave.”
According to CNN, the incident began when William Boucher, a caucasian male wearing a light-colored suit, became angry when someone allegedly spilled a beverage on him at a Starbucks on West Lake Street.
Police say the situation spilled onto the sidewalk, where Boucher spat on a man, 30, and woman, 34, and punched an older man. The older man was taken to a hospital with an eye injury,
“We have absolutely no tolerance for this type of behavior in our stores, and are grateful to the partners (employees) and customers who stepped in to help until officers arrived,” said a Starbucks spokesperson in an email to CNN.
“I was shocked because I thought it was going to … end right there, security was going to come, the cops were going to show up,” said Starbucks employee Juan Torres.
From CNN:
“Your children are disposable vermin,” Boucher said to the unidentified black man before walking away.
“Shut up, slave. Do not talk to me,” Boucher said to a second unidentified black man who approached him, the video shows.
A bystander seemed to push Boucher away, trying to calm him. Boucher then spat at the man whose children he had called “disposable vermin,” the video shows. One bystander stood between Boucher and the man as the two appeared to try to fight.
“Get on all fours right now. … Do not walk off on two legs,” Boucher said to the unidentified black man.
As Boucher walked away, he was shortly seen after punching another unidentified man walking in his direction. According to authorities, the man Boucher spat at in the video and some bystanders helped detain him until police arrived.
Watch:
Featured image: William Boucher (Facebook)
