Canfield lawyer sues man who assaulted former Youngstown resident in viral video
A Mahoning County lawyer is taking a Portage County man to court following a viral video where the man visibly punches a former Youngstown woman in the face.
Attorney Dave Betras filed a civil suit against David Walls on Monday for an alleged assault against a black woman who now lives in Summit County.
Cameron Morgan, 23, grew up in Youngstown and was in Akron when a friend took a video showing Walls, a white man, calling her racial slurs on February 28. The footage shows Walls hurling at Morgan and landing a punch to her mouth after verbally attacking her.
Walls was quickly linked to the all-male white supremacy group, the Proud Boys, following the video's release on social media. The organization has been defined as a hate group by multiple law centers and researchers.
Betras' civil suit seeks to prosecute Walls under an Ohio law that allows anyone injured in a criminal act to seek damages, even if the accused person is not convicted of criminal charges.
But Betra's also said he is seeking to take down the Proud Boy's group if they have any involvement with Walls' actions.
"I've vowed to sue anyone and everyone involved 'into oblivion,' including the Proud Boys, if I can connect them to the assault, and Ohio law gives me the power to do just that," Betras said. "It is a power I will not hesitate to use because white supremacy must be thrown on the ash heap of history where it belongs."
Betras told 21 WFMJ that a Proud Boys' leader visited Northeast Ohio and commended Walls just days after the incident. Betras believes that a suit against the Proud Boys would fall under certain Ohio laws.
On Friday, Morgan was already suing Walls and filed a claim in Summit County Common Pleas Court.
Walls also faces two counts of assault, one count of possessing a firearm while intoxicated, and could be charged under state and federal hate crime statutes. He was arrested in Summit County days after the incident.