A brutal attack on Michael Robinson, an 18-year-old Black teenager from Simi Valley, California, has sparked outrage and demands for hate crime charges after cellphone footage showed several white teens chasing, beating, and hurling racial slurs at him. The incident took place around 11 p.m. on August 1 outside a Regal Cinemas theater and left 18-year-old Michael Robinson with a concussion, cuts, bruises, and a chipped tooth. Police say Robinson’s friend, also 18 and white, was initially targeted, but the attackers quickly turned their attention to Robinson, slamming him onto a car hood, shoving his head into a trash can, and striking him repeatedly in the back of the head.
Video of the attack, which has gone viral, shows Robinson trying to defend himself with a chair as his assailants surround him and scream racial profanities. Robinson says he didn’t know the teens but believes they targeted him because of his race. “Honestly, I thought I was going to die,” he told KTTV, adding that repeated blows to the back of the head left him fearing serious brain injury. His attorney, Jamal Tooson, says the racial slurs caught on camera make it “crystal clear” that the assault was racially motivated.
According to Atlanta News First, four white teens have been arrested and cited for battery before being released to their parents. One of them is the son of a Simi Valley police officer, though officials say that officer is not involved in the investigation. The decision to release the suspects without holding them in custody — and to withhold their names — has fueled criticism from community members, who argue the handling of the case shows a double standard.
Residents packed a recent Simi Valley City Council meeting to demand the Ventura County District Attorney pursue hate crime charges. “He was chased down, jumped, and mocked for the color of his skin,” said Robinson’s friend, Jared Jasson. “This wasn’t a fight. It was a hate-driven attack.” Avery Estelle, president of Simi Valley High School’s Black Student Union, said the community’s response would be far different if the racial roles were reversed, warning that ignoring the attack sends the message that racism is tolerated.
Police Chief Steve Shorts has acknowledged the assault as “definitely a hate incident” but says the decision on hate crime charges rests with the district attorney’s office. As of now, prosecutors have not announced whether they will upgrade the charges. The police investigation remains ongoing.
Despite the brutality of the attack, Robinson says he forgives those involved but insists they must be held accountable. “I don’t hate those kids. I pity them,” he said. “What they just did was sick, it was evil, and it was not right. But there are consequences to your actions.”
