A black musician who was brutally attacked by Patriot Front fanatics has said he thought they were going to kill him.
Charles M. Murrell III has testified that he was walking in the Back Bay area of Boston on July 2, 2022, when members of the white supremacist group surrounded him and beat him in a violent, racially motivated attack.
A hearing is currently underway in U.S. District Court in Boston to determine how much money the Patriot Front owes Mr. Murrell for the attack that violated his civil rights.
In a harrowing description of the incident, Mr Murrell told the hearing: ‘I thought I was going to die.’
The 37-year-old said he blacked out during the attack and was shocked when he later saw photos in the press of the white supremacists pressing a shield to his head and pushing him against a light post.
Charles M. Murrell III has testified that he was walking in the Back Bay area of Boston on July 2, 2022, when members of the white supremacist group surrounded him and beat him in a violent, racially motivated attack.
The 37-year-old said he blacked out during the attack and was shocked when he later saw photos in the press of the white supremacists pressing a shield to his head and pushing him against a light post.
The protesters were all white, dressed identically, and wore white neck gaiters that covered most of their faces. They walked with a banner that said: ‘Reclaim America.’ on July 2, 2022
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found Patriot Front and Rousseau of Grapevine, Texas, liable for the attack after they failed to respond to a civil rights lawsuit Murrell filed in August 2023.
Lawyers representing Mr Murrell are seeking an unspecified amount for damages and legal costs. the Boston Globe has reported.
Mr. Murrell, an educator and classically trained musician, was on his way to play the saxophone outside the Boston Public Library when he encountered a large group of people marching and waving flags.
The protesters were all white, dressed identically, and wore white neck gaiters that covered most of their faces. They walked with a banner that read, “Reclaim America.”
Mr Murrell told the court he tried to film the group on his mobile phone but was unable to unlock his phone because he was so nervous. He said the group surrounded him and started chanting “tar baby” and other things he didn’t understand.
The group then punched him repeatedly and did not allow Mr Murrell to walk away. He said he was terrified they would throw him into oncoming traffic on the nearby busy road.
Boston police surveillance footage played in court showed Mr. Murrell walking along the sidewalk with his saxophone before being pushed against the light pole by the group.
A witness testified that she rushed to help Mr. Murrell after seeing the attack.
Katrina Jabro told the hearing that there was a significant amount of blood on his hands.
Patriot Front is a white supremacist group founded by Dallas man Thomas Ryan Rousseau. No one has been charged in the attack on Murrell
He was taken to Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where he was treated for lacerations to his head, hand and face.
Mr Murrell said his hands sometimes seize, preventing him from playing his saxophone, and that panic attacks and paranoia keep him from performing on the streets.
This has led to a drop in his income from $1,200 per week to just $100.
Tina Adams, a licensed clinical psychologist who evaluated Murrell, testified that he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder and anxiety since the attack.
She described the attack as the most traumatic event of Mr Murrell’s life.
In another video from police body cameras, Mr. Murrell is seen crying as he is interviewed by police asking why no arrests have been made.
No one has been charged with the assault. As the members left town in a U-Haul truck, they were stopped by state police, who issued a criminal summons for driving with an allegedly unregistered Arizona license plate.
Members of the Patriot Front, which emerged from the fascist organization Vanguard America after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville Virginia in 2017, have not responded to repeated messages about the ongoing civil suit.
The group is pictured in front of the Boston Public Library holding flags, near where Murrell was attacked
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found Patriot Front and Rousseau of Grapevine, Texas, liable for the attack after they failed to respond to a civil rights lawsuit Murrell filed in August 2023.
Attempts have been made by Mr Murrell’s lawyers to alert the group to the matter. Defense attorney James Gross said in court Wednesday that “neither defendant chose to participate.”
As a result, the attorney said all of Mr. Murrell’s allegations are considered true.
Judge Talwani expected to make a final ruling after hearing testimony from Mr Murrell and the other witnesses during the two-day hearing.