By Amy Kniss
Who needs evidence gathering detectives or reporting wittinesses when we live in a world of social media?
The Oakland Police Department is reluctant to sit back and wait for evidence of assaults to appear on social networks before it gets too bogged down in an investigation, or wait for members of the public to call in and identify suspects after viewing a viral video of an attack; yet, sometimes this is its only option. At least, this is the protocol the department followed after Melissa Seals was attacked last month in her Oakland beauty salon.
As Seals was cutting a customer’s hair six women entered the shop. Upon entry two women jumped Seals and proceeded to beat her for several minutes. One of the six women not only captured the assault on video, but also posted the altercation on You Tube.
In an interview with ABC 7 affiliate KGO Bay Area, Seals said: "It happened so fast but when I seen it I couldn't believe it, I didn't even remember what happened to me until I seen it on YouTube.”
Seals knew one of the women involved in the attack; she was a friend angry at Seals for something Seals reportedly told the alleged attacker, concerning the woman’s boyfriend. Although Seals could identify at least one of her attackers, the Oakland Police Department failed to pursue the case, at Seals' . That is, until, video of the incident appeared on You Tube.
Seals, who originally did not want to press charges, contacted police a month after the incident at the urging of her family. Had she contacted police right after the incident that Seals could have produced visible evidence of the assault to police is indisputable; the video shows Seals’ friend and another woman repeatedly and forcefully punching and kicking Seals.
When Seals eventually reported the attack to the Oakland Police Department little physical evidence of the attack remained. When the You Tube video surfaced the police department found reason to reopen its investigation. Jeff Thomason, spokesperson for the Oakland PD, said the You Tube video will be used to implicate at least two of the women in court, that is if the department is capable of identifying and arresting the women in the video. The Oakland police department asks that anyone who recognizes the assailants call the department at 510-238-3426.
In a subsequent interview with KTVU Seals said, “I want them in jail,” she said. “I don’t know what to say. I am just tired of crying about this.”
Comments
I love the article, it was great the way you put detail into your work. Keep it up, we need authors like you in this world to keep information correct.
great how you put detail, excuse my grammar.
dat is really sad dem hoe n slutz dat den dat need 2 go 2 hell wif dai ugly azz...lady ima so sorry dem slut did dat 2 u.....
IT IS SAD THAT THEY HAD TO ACT LIKE THAT NO SELF RESPECT FOR THEMSELVES OR OTHERS THEY THOUGHT THEY MADE HER LOOK BAD JUST WAIT UNTIL THEY GO TO JAIL AND PAY THE PRICE FOR BEING STUPID. YOU ATTACK SOMEONE AND TAPE IT. GIRL HOLD YOUR HEAD UP AND YOU SHOULD HAVE WENT TO THE POLICE THE SAME DAY. PEOPLE LIKE THAT WILL MAKE YOU TAKE THE LAW IN YOUR OWN HANDS. i HATE THAT YOUR CREW DID NOTHING YOUR LIFE WAS IN DANGER AND THEY DID NOTHING THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS ITS JUST NOT HUMAN. I HOPE THEY NEVER NEED YOUR HELP.
I read somewhere that Oakland police are charging the women with Mistameanor charges because there was little damage done to the attacked. But i beg to differ those two women should be charged not only with assault but kidnapping because the tape clearly shows the girl trying to leave the shop and them holding her in so she can continue to be harmed. Some sorry slap on the wrist is some BS. IfI were Melissa I'd be ready for them if they came back....Pistol Ready...The police should do what they are paid to do and lock those animals up so they can recieve the abuse plus some that they gave to miss seals
This is ashame. I hope the Steve Harvey's and the Michael Baisden's of the world take hold of this situation and give it the attention it needs. Those animals need to be locked up. That was someone's daughter or mother that was beaten like that. I have a 10 year old girl and to think that could have been her really bothers me. Black people stand up!!!
Please join me in calling the Oakland Police and the Mayors office to put pressure on them to make an arrest.
OPD IS WRONG AS HELL! MELISSA HAD CALLED OPD 20 min. AFTER SHE WAS ATTACKED. OPD DID NOT COME UNTIL AFTER 10pm. WHEN WE ASKED OPD HOW COME IT TOOK THEM SO LONG. THEIR RESPONSE WAS SHE WASN'T FIRST PRIORITY. SHE WASN'T STABBED, SHOT, OR DEAD. WHEN THEY WAS ASKED ABOUT CITIZEN ARREST. WE WERE TOLD IF THE ATTACKERS WAS PRESENT AT THE SHOP, THEY COULD. BUT SINCE THEY WASN'T THERE IT WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. NOW OPD SAYING MELISSA DIDN'T WANT TO PRESS CHARGES AT FIRST. OPD IS WIT THE BS! THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER THEIR ASSES. HOPEFULLY MELISSA SUE THEIR ASS, FOR NOT HANDLING BUISNESS OFF TOP. IT A SHAME HER INJURIES WASN'T ENOUGH FOR OPD. SHE HAD 2 BLACK EYES, SCRATCHES, HAIR PULLED OUT, FACE SWOLLEN. OPD DID NOT TAKE PICS OF HER INJURIES, LET ALONE HAVE HER WRITE OUT A REPORT. BUT NOW HER INJURIES ONLY WORTH A MISDEMEANOR, WHAT ABOUT THEM HOLDING HER HOSTAGE IN HER A PLACE OF BUISNESS. IS THAT WOTH A MISDEMEANOR TOO. OPD GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE WIT THAT MESS.
FOR THE RECORD MELISSA DID CALL OPD. AND THEY LEFT HER HANGING. NOW THEY WANT TO SAY SHE TRIPPING NOW CAUSE IT WAS YOUTUBE ACROSS THE WORLD. OPD IS WIT DA MESS! I AM A WITNESS OF OPD TAKING HOURS TO RESPOND TO HER CALL. OPD IS SUPPOSE TO PROTECT AND SERVE. AND THEY HAD DID NOTHING ON THE NIGHT OF THIS INCIDENT. BUT NOW IF WE HAD TOOKEN THIS IN OUR OWN HANDS. WE WOULD BE THE ONES BEHIND BARS. AND MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE TOOK THAT CHANCE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN WHAT OPD IS DOING. THEM FEMALES SHOULD BE FACING FELONY CHARGES, THE VIDEO SPEAKS FOR MELISSA!
i am disgusted by the women's behavior on this tape. i live in north carolina, but still feel the same as if i lived in her community. can you imagine how terrified this woman was and how hard it is for all of us to view the tape? the attackers MUST pay for their crimes instead of being allowed to go on radio stations laughing about their role in this incident. it's too sad that young women don't think there is anything wrong with this including the women who stood around and watched. it doesn't matter who said what - the victim didn't deserve to be beaten like an animal for all to watch.
My entire office is ticked about this.. OMG.. what is the number to the Oakland office.. we all are going to call..
How many charges can these woman get kidnapping, felony assualt, Their actions deserve penalties. Not only are these people cruel and wicked, but completely stupid, if you thought posting it to youtude was a smart idea!!
...and black women are questioning why our brothers are dating white women. I watched that video three times, and it is horrible. Where does all this hate come from? I feel those young ladies should have the book thrown at them. They showed no mercy,no respect, no remorse. They dislike themselves, and no doubt were jealous of Ms. Seals. She owned that beauty solan, and that says a lot about her. I'm just sorry she waited a whole month before pressing charges. Those girls should have been serving their sentence by now.
yes i'm a beauty salon owner and i know what she is feeling thats the reason i let no one come into my place of business with all that b.s so sister stand up for your self and don't let them get away with what they done to you they need to pay for what they done.and talk about friends u don't have friends they are your worst enemys. so girlfriend take care your business.i hope everything work out for you
I seen the video for the first time and I feel so sad for that woman, I mean I am really disappointed at the fact that there was an audience and not one person tried to come to her defense I know we should mind our business im a firm believer in that but that was just wrong you could see that the first young lady had did her in already but it's always that follower who wants to prove a point I think the friend who posted it felt sorry ,I to agree they deserve a more severe punishment because premeditation accounts for alot. You know this is one of the causes of why I stay to mysel and I don't involve my self with to many females because 1 there's always problems regarding a man . But I think that woman was surrounded by to many possible weapons in a beautyshop even if I didn't win those b****es would have known i been there, cause i would have had a twin.
the beaters should be ashamed of themselves, the struggle we have been through for many years, this is how they repay our ancestors, cicely tyson, maya angelo, oprah winfrey, just a few and so many to mention. But of course this shows how they were raised (in a zoo) i am a proud black woman and love the fact that we are all unique, size, shape, and color, but animals like those beaters on utube, makes my stomach turn. But we viewers need to remember that some black folk are still in slavery. I pray that the victim press chargers and whoever the looser is that they are fighting about, (probably sleeping with each other), he needs to get his *** kicked.
Sister God bless you.Sister we don't never know what today or night bring but keep yourself prayed up and pray for those and forgive them for they don't know for what they do.....God will take care of them and if peoeple would think more a picture is worth a thousand words
???
Call alameda county district attorneys office in oakland.....ask for Owen he is the D.A on the case
I saw the video. It made me sad to see women act so barbaric. No one should fear having malicious people come into their place of business and beat them without stringent penalties. The DA said," no one was severely hurt". I would contend that the public was hurt the moment it was decided that a misdemeanor is appropriate for a group beating. The victim posed no physical threat, and also tried to walk away. Where is the justice for the wounded? What is the lesson to be learned?
It should not be a mere misdemeanor when a person is harmed by attackers. Being brutally battered should not be a requirement for justice in a violent beating. Where is justice for the victim? If more brutality is the means for a felony, then I free the precedent that it establishes in a community already plagued with violence.
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