SHOCK: Akron Police Investigate Black Teen Mob Alleged Attack on Marty Marshall, His Family and Two Friends

SHOCK: Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids think they were victims of a hate crime, but the cops aren't confirming that at this time. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the Marshalls and two friends were gathered outside a friend's home in South Akron. They said they were accosted by dozens of teenage boys who shouted ''This is our world'' and ''This is a black world'' as they confronted Marshall and his family. The Marshalls, who are white, said the crowd of teens were black. ''This was almost like being a terrorist act,'' Marshall said in an interview with the newspaper. ''And we allow this to go on in our neighborhoods?''

They said it started when one teen, without any words or warning, blindsided and assaulted Marshall's friend as he stood outside with the others. When Marshall, 39, jumped in, he found himself being attacked by the growing group of teens. His daughter, Rachel, 15, who weighs about 90 pounds, tried to come to his rescue. The teens pushed her to the ground. His wife, Yvonne, pushed their son, Donald, 14, into bushes to keep him protected.

"My thing is,'' Marshall said, ''I didn't want this, but I was in fear for my wife, my kids and my friends. I felt I had to stay out there to protect them, because those guys were just jumping, swinging fists and everything. ''I'm lucky. They didn't break my ribs or bruise my ribs. I thank God, they concentrated on my thick head because I do have one. They were trying to take my head off my spine, basically.''

After several minutes of punches and kicks, the attack ended and the group ran off. The Marshalls' two adult male friends were not seriously hurt. ''I don't think I thought at that moment when I tried to jump in,'' Rachel Marshall said. ''But when I was laying on the ground, I was just scared.'' Marshall was the most seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises to his head and eye. He said he spent five nights in the critical care unit at Akron General Medical Center.

Akron police are investigating. Right now, the case is not being classified as a racial hate crime. There were no other reports of victims assaulted by the group that night. The department's gang unit is involved in the investigation, police said.''We don't know if it's a known gang, or just a group of kids,'' police Lt. Rick Edwards said. Source: Akron Beacon Journal

Here's my question -- did any neighbors call the police while this fighting was taking place? From the account of Mr. Marshall, it would seem that the scuffle went on for a little while. No-one deserves to have their civil rights violated, no matter by whom, and I hope the police will find all the kids involved. It seems that the police investigation is progressing slowly, since no other people were attacked that night. If these kids were screaming that "it's a black world," then that's just plain ignorant and wrong. I hope they are caught and charged for what they did to these people.