CHICAGO — In a case that shocked the nation in early 2017, four Black individuals were charged with hate crimes after allegedly kidnapping, torturing, and livestreaming the brutal assault of an 18-year-old mentally disabled white man over several hours in a Chicago apartment.

The victim, who suffered from schizophrenia and other intellectual disabilities, was bound, gagged, beaten, cut with a knife, forced to drink from a toilet, and subjected to racial slurs including “Fuck white people” and anti-Trump statements. One attacker reportedly yelled racial epithets while the group livestreamed portions of the abuse on Facebook Live.

The suspects — Jordan Hill, 18; Tesfaye “Teefies” Cooper, 18; Brittany Covington, 18; and Tanishia Covington, 24 — were charged with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and other felonies. Prosecutors cited the racial nature of the taunts and the victim’s protected status due to his disability.

The incident began when the victim met Hill at a McDonald’s on New Year’s Eve for what his family believed would be a sleepover. He was held for days before police found him injured on January 3, 2017. The video showed the victim cowering in a corner as the group laughed and assaulted him.

All four pleaded guilty or were convicted in plea deals. Sentences ranged from probation (Brittany Covington) to eight years in prison for Hill, described as a ringleader. Cooper served roughly seven years.

The case drew widespread condemnation across political lines, with Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson calling it “sickening.” It sparked debates about racial tensions, media coverage disparities, and protections for vulnerable individuals with disabilities.

Update in 2026: Tesfaye Cooper, now 30, was recently arrested again in Chicago for allegedly robbing and beating a cyclist while shouting gang slogans, highlighting ongoing concerns about recidivism in such cases.

This remains a stark example of a documented hate crime involving racial animus against a disabled victim. Such acts of sadistic violence deserve full accountability regardless of the perpetrators’ or victim’s background.