I edited original to zoom in on the attack. Elyria police detectives have released a video taken last month of an 18-year-old man who was ...
I edited original to zoom in on the attack. Elyria police detectives have released a video taken last month of an 18-year-old man who was brutally beaten in what authorities said was an unprovoked attack. The assault took place at 12:12 a.m. April 24 at the Midway Crossing Apartments, 1864 Middle Ave. The video shows three suspects repeatedly punching and kicking an unconscious man. “Basically, from what we gathered talking to witnesses, was that this was a very unprovoked attack,” said Capt. Chris Costantino. According to authorities, there had been a disturbance about an hour prior to incident involving two individuals and word spread to the three suspects that someone had been shot. “That was not the case,” Costantino said. The suspects, Michael Nichols, 27, Sean L. Buchanan, 24, and James M. Currie, 18 drove to Elyria from Cleveland after hearing the alleged rumor and viciously assaulted the man who lived at the apartment complex, he said. The video, taken from an apartment security camera, shows the victim being called over by one of the suspects and he engages Nichols in conversation. A few moments later Nichols punches the victim, knocking him unconscious and he falls to the ground. “At this point, the victim is unconscious, defenseless,” Costantino said. Buchanan then takes the man’s cell phone and $20 in cash and kicks him in the head, the captain said. Nichols runs back over to the victim, jumps up in the air and lands on the victim’s head, and follows up another kick to the head, Costantino said. Buchanan approaches the victim and removes his shoes and pants and then crouches over top of him while holding a knife to the victim’s throat, the captain said. A moment later, he stands up and puts the weapon away. After Buchanan backs away from the victim, Nichols picks the man up and throws him back on the ground followed by Currie running over and kicking the victim in the head. The assault finally stops after Nichols takes once last leap onto the man’s chest while he is still lying on the ground unconscious, Costantino said. Before leaving the scene of the crime, police said that one of the suspects pulled out a gun and pointed it at residents who were attempting to give aid to the victim, he said. Costantino said that in the 25 years he has been a police officer, he has never seen an assault as brutal as this. “This is a heinous crime, a very violent crime against a defenseless person,” he said. Buchanan and Curry were arrested by the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force on May 1 and May 5, respectively. Nichols, who is the primary aggressor, remains at large, police said. The two suspects were charged with felonious assault and transported to Lorain County Jail, police said. Costantino said that Nichols should be considered armed and dangerous. He also is the Task Force’s Fugitive of the Week. Detectives declined to comment on the identity of the victim. He is in stable condition. Anyone with any information on Nichols is asked to contact the Elyria Police Department at 440-323-3302 or the Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED. Less
