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Police rely on social media in Oakland beauty shop beatdown case
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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.”
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