Andrew Walls, Vice President of the Proud Boys’ Akron, Ohio chapter, was arrested on Feb. 28 and charged with assault after yelling racial slurs at a Black woman before sucker-punching her in the face.
According to police, Walls was captured on video yelling racial epithets as he grappled with some men outside Highland Tavern in Akron’s Highland Square on Sunday, Feb. 27. His victim, Cameron Morgan, passed by the bar with her friend, Alisha Howard, when she heard him and others around him yelling, “F*****g n*****s.”
After realizing she was the only Black person in the vicinity, Morgan reportedly confronted the 26-year-old man.
Then, the video, recorded by Howard, showed Walls throwing his hands up, pointing at the 23-year-old woman, and shouting another racial slur at her before saying, “B***h, shut your mouth.”
Shortly afterward, he balled up his fist and struck her in the face.
The 23-year-old victim’s father, David Lee Morgan Jr., said Walls continued attacking his daughter after the recording ended and dragged her into the street by her hair. She was later taken to the hospital for a busted lip and a concussion.
At the hospital, she spoke to News5 about what happened, confirming that she was punched in the face.
“Something just triggered [Walls] because he looked at me dead in the eye and called me an n-word slur and sucker-punched me right in the mouth,” she said. “I stand up for what I believe in always. I do what’s right. I stand up for people that are too afraid to stand up for themselves. I just looked at him, and I [asked him], ‘why are you talking like this? You cannot talk like that. I was like, ‘This is stupid, please don’t talk like that.’”
Her attacker was reportedly inclined to violence since the right-wing, white nationalist group Proud Boys he has been a part of followed a doctrine of bigotry and brutality. It was also designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Morgan’s dad took to Twitter to express how upset he was about the entire situation.
“I’m devastated right now. My 23-year-old daughter Cameron, who wouldn’t hurt anyone and has a heart of gold, was sucker-punched by this racist guy in Highland Square in Akron last night for no reason,” he wrote on Feb. 27. “She weighs maybe 100 pounds. Can someone please help me identify him!”
I’m devastated right now. My 23-year-old daughter Cameron, who wouldn’t hurt anyone and has a heart of gold, was sucker punched by this racist guy in Highland Square in Akron last night for no reason. She weighs maybe 100 pounds. Can someone please help me identify him!
— David Lee Morgan, Jr. (@DavidLeeMorgan) February 27, 2022
He also posted a screen recording of the incident to his page and pleaded for assistance.
“Please! I need to press charges! I’m heartbroken and sick to my stomach.”
Please! I need to press charges! I’m heartbroken and sick to my stomach. pic.twitter.com/42nddAm5gh
— David Lee Morgan, Jr. (@DavidLeeMorgan) February 27, 2022
That day, he and his daughter went to the Akron police station to report the racial attack and provided the video clip. Authorities quickly identified the suspect as Walls, who turned himself in the following day, and he was charged with possessing a firearm while intoxicated and assaulted.
Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett released a statement, saying APD would do everything to rectify the situation.
“I am deeply concerned with, what clearly appears to be, a racially motivated assault in our City this past weekend…A short while ago, the suspect, 26-year-old Andrew Carlson Walls, was taken into custody by APD detectives…The Akron Police Department has reached out to the FBI to determine if this assault rises to a federal hate crime…We stand united with the victim of this heinous assault and her family to ensure justice is served.”
On Tuesday, Mar. 1, the Ohio man pleaded not guilty, and his bond was set at $25,000. He was also assigned a GPS monitoring system and ordered to stay away from Morgan. Her attorney, David Betras, said they would be filing a lawsuit against Walls and the Proud Boys.
“I do believe he is a member of the Proud Boys. I have seen online postings, so I am going to sue him and the Proud Boys,” Betras said. “I am not going to let up until I sue them into oblivion.”
Walls is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial on Mar. 11.
