Witness: Oakland Bus Fight Racially Tinged

(CBS)  A fight on an Oakland bus that appeared to be racially tinged started because of an elderly white man's remark about shoe-shining, according to a local college student who filmed the incident.

Two men - a bearded white man who said he was 67 years old and a younger black man - can be seen on the video arguing on the transit bus Monday afternoon.

"The white guy was asking the black guy for a shoeshine," Iyanna Washington, the student who shot the video with a small camera, told CBS station KPIX. "And I guess the black guy took it as a racist comment, like, 'Why's a black guy have to spit shine your shoes?'"

After several minutes of back-and-forth yelling, the older man moves to the front of the bus, though the argument continues. Eventually, the younger man follows him.

"I guess he hit him across the face once," Washington said. "And then the white guy stands up and lets loose."

The unidentified older man unleashed a flurry of punches that bloodied the face of the younger man, who was later found to have sustained a broken nose, transit spokesman Clarence Johnson said.

The older man exited the bus but remained in the area, screaming and kicking at a newsstand. He eventually surrendered when police showed up.

Both men were taken to the hospital. Johnson said the older man was off his medication.

Video shows Washington grabbing the older man's bag and carrying it to the back of the bus while somebody says, "Go through that." But Washington told KPIX that she didn't steal anything.

"Why would I steal the guy's bag?" she said. "I picked the bag up, I placed it on the seat and that was the end of that. When I got off the bus the bag was still on the bus."

[aw1250]

It's amazing to me that the old guy wasn't even talking to the "victim" but the person sitting next to him and somehow gets caught up in a stupid mess. He was talking about getting his "boy" to shine his shoes (for a funeral he was having to attend) which is where the "victim" interrupts with a sassy comment about why someone else has to shine his shoes - then it somehow turns into some racial debate - unbelievable! "Victims" don't MAKE trouble...trouble meets them - now think about who the ACTUAL victim is...a young man who instigated a verbal fight, threated someone, and then threw a punch or the old man who walked away from a situation, was threatened & punched and then defended himself?
On top of that, Ms. Washington says she didn't do anything with the bag - then why grab it at all? It certainly wasn't hers either...
This whole story from this angle just simply doesn't make sense.

[BROOKLYN1981]

I agree,who knows how the whole conversation started because they already were talking before she started recording. My opinion the young guy deserved that because he kept on instigating. In his mind he thought the white man was old and took advantaged of that until he got knocked out. Then the girl wants to steal the bag and say in the video "Go through that s**t". thats not nice because that old man could be a dad or a grandfather and i know no one would want that done to someone in their family. What they did was wrong they should of left him alone when he walked away. He derserved what he got

[Rhaspun]

The old guy did talk it up a bit. But that's no excuse for the younger guy to initiate the fight. Hell, if the old guy could walk to the front of the bus the younger guy could have just as easily stayed in the back.

[Schoolkid9211]

I agree with this 100%. I've watched the video several times, and i still stand behind the old man for walking away from the fight.

[kev1300]

funny how racialism creeps into everything , i thought the human race was just one race , am i missing something here , i come from a multi ethnic family all of which are members of the human race , it's just colour predjudice and nationalistic rubbish , people should grow up and get on with life . In this situation an arguement escalated into violence through simple ignorance and bratt like behaviour , the man hit another man who then stood up for his right to defend himself and gave him a good slapping , over and done now get on living.

[Mikhail_Kalashnikov]

No, actually we are not all one race, what you are thinking of is species, we are all one species (**** sapien). Race is a subset of species and 99% of the human population fits into one of the following races:
1. Mongoloid (Asian and American Indian)
2. Australoid (Australian and oceanic)
3. Negroid (East African black)
4. Capoid (South African black)
5. Caucasoid (European)

[zorro869]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sWgtGdl7KQ

Here is a real interview with the guy. Sheds some light on the situation.

[Jackhamer1966]

This is an example of how the ?OLD? news outlets are so out of touch. They do not realize that people will fact check their work. When the whole thing turns out to be a setup or scam you will never hear them correct themselves, or admit they got it wrong. They think it makes a great flashy story so forget the facts and that annoying thing called the truth.

[erb0087]

Hollywood already has plans to turn this incident into a blockbuster film.

Morgan Freeman has been cast as the heroic old bearded guy, with Shia LaBeouf as the young racist punk who forces him to defend himself on the bus.

[erb0087]

"I got it ! I filmed it all !" - Iyanna Washington assures the "victim."

"Oh thanks a lot. Now the whole country can see some old white guy beating the sh** out of me..."

[erb0087]

"Johnson said the older man was off his medication."

What did he stop taking ? Kryptonite ?

[slimboss66]

Previous fool was right that most whites are raped by whites. But regarding interracial rape, on any given year 80-90% is black-on-white.
If the shoe was on the other foot the victim groups, Jesse & Al, academics, and the government would be calling a national emergency. Because the "multicultural" agenda makes all whites guilty from birth and all blacks victims, we as a society, just accept this as business as usual.
Most people who have commented are too ignorant to realize that this man is mentally ill. I feel compassion toward the metally ill and ignore their rantings if they seem angry. To this thug scum, this metally ill, senior was just another white target. Given the ceaseless antagonism by black thugs toward whites it's no surprise that may whites are pleased by the outcome. It's also no surprise that black "victims" cast cornroe dirtbag as the victim even after he pursued the man as he tried to get away and threw the first punch.

[erb0087]

For a second there I thought I was watching the Mitt Romney - Sky Blu fight.

Oh well. At least the video conveys the useful information that you can maintain your fitness and fighting ability well into old age. (I understand Cornell McClellan flies out to Oakland twice a month to give him boxing lessons.)

I for one will be sorely disappointed if President Obama doesn't invite these two to the White House for some "beer & sympathy."

[erb0087]

(I understand Cornell McClellan flies out to Oakland twice a month to give him boxing lessons.)

Gives the old beared guy lessons, that is.

If he was training the young guy in the video, his pupil should ask for his money back.

Cornell McClellan is in the news these days as Barack and Michelle Obama's personal trainer and boxing instructor.

"Cornell McClellan Demonstrates Boxing Moves He's Shown Barack and Michelle; He Says They Benefit Entire Body

McClellan, a personal trainer who owns a gym called Naturally Fit in President and Michelle Obamas' hometown of Chicago, is still helping them keep in shape - he flies to Washington about once a week, mostly to work with the first lady, but sometimes Mr. Obama, as well."