McDonald’s has fired the employee who recorded the violent beating of a customer at a Baltimore County restaurant earlier this week.
In a statement on Saturday, franchise owner Mitchell McPherson said, “My first and foremost concern is with the victim,” the Baltimore Sun reported.
“I’m as shocked and disturbed by this assault as anyone would be. The behavior displayed in the video is unfathomable and reprehensible.”
The video of a beating the Rosedale restaurant went viral Friday, garnering hundreds of thousands of views on websites and prompting the fast-food giant to issue a statement condemning the incident.
A police report identified the victim as Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, who appears identical to Christopher Lee Polis, according to Smoking Gun.
Equality Maryland said the victim is a transgender woman and called on state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler to step in and investigate the case as a hate crime.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
“No person ever deserves to be a victim of violence regardless of their gender identity or presentation. We encourage the State’s Attorney General to investigate this as a hate crime based on gender identity,” said Chuck Butler, Equality Maryland Board President, in a statement on Friday.
The 14-year-old girl has been charged as a juvenile in the attack and charges are pending against an 18-year-old woman.
Update: Police have also charged Teonna Monae Brown, 18, with one count of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault in the attack on Polis.