(RNN) – A 16-year-old had a Make America Great Again hat stolen from him and a drink thrown at him in a Texas restaurant, in an incident that’s now been viewed on Twitter more than four-and-a-half million times.
The video, posted by @brxpug, shows him sitting with two friends at a Whataburger in San Antonio. His friend to the left, identified by the San Antonio Express-News as Hunter Richard of Orlando, is the one who had the hat taken.
The video begins with an adult man holding the hat and leaning over at Richard, then saying something unintelligible, picking a soda off their table and tossing it at the kids.
He uses a number of expletives at the teens as he walks away, and as he leaves says, “This is going to go great in my f****** fireplace.”
WARNING: Graphic language
So went out for a 2am snack and my friend (wearing a MAGA hat) had his hat stolen and a drink thrown in his face (and mine, you can see my arms on the left of the video) pic.twitter.com/B3QjBFIxPk
— Brax🕊 (@brxpug) July 4, 2018
“He just immediately ripped my hat off and asked why I was wearing it,” Richard told the Express-News.
A KENS-TV report claimed a witness said the incident was instigated by racist remarks being made by the teens. The story, however, removed quotes from the witness and added a disclaimer that said they were "removed from this copy due to concerns about the legitimacy of the statements."
On Twitter, @brxpug, said, "If you believe that I am sorry, the truth will come out," and that the witnesses' account "never happened."
an article was released saying someone who was in the restaurant (even tho the only ones in the restaurant was my group and the guy who confronted us's group.) said that we had provoked the man with racial slurs and much worse things, which never happened.
— Brax🕊 (@brxpug) July 5, 2018
The Express-News reported the suspected drink-tosser is 30 years old, but have not identified him. Right-wing media have identified him as Kino Jimenez, and an official in the Texas Green Party confirmed to Heavy that he had been a member of the party and was now banned.
A nearby bar that employed him wrote on Facebook that it had fired him before deleting their entire account.
In a response to the original video on Twitter, one user wrote, “While I don’t think it was necessary to do what the big guy did especially since you’re a minor, I do not agree with what wearing/supporting that hat represents.”
The video’s poster, @brxpug said, “Neither do I, but I’m not gonna shame my friend for his political view. I wouldn’t shame anyone for their political views.”
Richard called for dialogue.
“I support my president and if you don’t let’s have a conversation about it instead of ripping my hat off,” he told WOIA-TV in San Antonio. “I just think a conversation about politics is more productive for the entire whole rather than taking my hat and yelling subjective words to me.”
@brxpug posted on Thursday that the suspect had been arrested, but that the teens decided not to press charges.
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