Marine Bronze Star recipient from iconic Fallujah photo attacked at a D.C. McDonald's

[Recursion]

Source: Marine Corps Times

Police in Washington, D.C., are looking for at least four people in connection with the assault and robbery of a veteran Marine sergeant and Bronze Star with “V” recipient, who was one of two Marines who helped carry then-1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal out of Fallujah’s infamous “Hell House.”

Christopher Marquez, who served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2011, told police he was assaulted on Friday around 10:30 p.m. while eating at a McDonald's, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report of the incident. The suspects took Marquez' wallet, identification, credit cards, debit card and about $400 in cash, the report says.

"When we’re in the military, we're there for our country," Marquez told Marine Corps Times. "...It’s very ironic: being attacked by the people you were there to serve."

Marquez said he believes the attack was racially motivated. He remembers being accosted at the McDonald's in Washington's Chinatown neighborhood by five people between 16 and 21 years old. Most were men or boys. One may have been female.

Read more: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2016/02/16/marine-bronze-star-recipient-iconic-fallujah-photo-attacked-dc-mcdonalds/80463452/

---

He's on the viewer's left IIRC.

That same strip was the site of a series of night-time beatings and stabbings of transwomen a couple of years ago. It's also one of the glitziest parts of town now:

[mwrguy]

1. “The kids were asking me if I think that black lives mattered, I was ignoring them."

I guess he should have answered.

[Recursion]

6. Unfortunately that's the one part of the story the RW press is covering

I'm not sure I believe Marquez on that, but then again groups of teenagers more or less randomly beating people up has been a feature of Chinatown for a few years now.

[uhnope]

8. what makes you think he would lie about that?

why would he lie?

[Recursion]

9. Why do people lie about things that happened to them?

I also don't particularly disbelieve him; I'm just generally cautious with stuff like this

[uhnope]

11. does that backpedaling tire you out? nt

[Recursion]

12. Umm... ok

Do your eyes get tired reading things into posts that I didn't put there?

I don't particularly believe him; you took the extra step of accusing him of lying, for reasons that elude me.

[uhnope]

13. lol. more dissembling.

he said something happened. You said you don't believe him. How is that not saying he's lying?

[Recursion]

16. You clearly haven't dealt much with trauma victims, have you?

Marquez's claim that the kids were shouting "Black lives matter" at him is not enough to make me believe that's what happened; I also have no particular reason to think it didn't. People get stuff wrong after trauma a lot, why you would go and accuse him of "lying" is beyond me, and frankly offensive. The first step is to listen to the victim without judgment; the police can figure out the actual facts.

[snooper2]

23. LOL

[Kurska]

28. Sad that some people excuse beatings of veterans when it fits with their ideology.

Very very sad.

[Yo_Mama]

31. What the hell???

You want to rethink that post?

BLM is not about beating people up - it's about preventing people from BEING beaten up, and killed.

[TipTok]

34. Apparantly not...

... at least not all of the group.

Or is this some of the 'No true Scotsman' bit?

[tabasco]

32. I guess the "kids" should have left him the fuck alone.

Blame the victim much?

[TipTok]

33. Maybe they should mind their own business...

He is under no obligation to talk to them...

Hope they catch em all and max 'em out...

[CBGLuthier]

2. I love how these guys are offended when they are victims of crime.

Nothing ironic about it. Probably nothing racist. Maybe he flashed his 400 bucks in his wallet and some assholes decided to liberate it. Happens a hundred times or more a day in America.

[Recursion]

3. You "love" that? Really? (nt)

[CBGLuthier]

4. Yes, I love their attitude about it. I do not love that he was a victim but whining about it

as if the fact it happened to a veteran is some kind of disgraceful sin. So he discovered that America can be a dangerous place too. Is that news to him? Besides, he is trying to start some shit about it all being racially motivated so fuck him.

[Recursion]

5. Given that his name is Marquez and he's from LA

I'd imagine he already knew that about the US?

[davidn3600]

7. So you were there when it happened?

Since you are 100% sure it wasn't racial you must have been there and witnessed the whole thing, right?

[uhnope]

10. "so fuck him" you say to the victim of a violent assault.

noted.

[snooper2]

24. next time you get smacked around a little and kicked in the balls you better not post it

[TipTok]

35. What is wrong with you?

Anyone who claims association with BLM just gets a free pass?

Attitudes like this have significantly contributed to the culture that produces criminals like these teenagers.

Congratulations on contributing to the problem.

[Jesus Malverde]

17. "Maybe he flashed his 400 bucks in his wallet and some assholes decided to liberate it."

Discusting...

[bluestateguy]

14. A lot of crass insensitivity on this thread

A couple people here don't even seem all that upset that he was robbed and beat up.

Disgraceful.

[elleng]

15. Sounds like it.

I used to work near that neighborhood, and even parked there for years. This is bad news, and DUers should recognize it.

[Major Nikon]

19. Reminds me of "baby killer"

Evidently they think he got what he deserved.

[Gregorian]

20. "When we’re in the military, we're there for our"

corporations.

[shawn703]

21. From Snopes

WHAT'S TRUE: Marine veteran Christopher Marquez was involved in an altercation with at a Washington, D. C.-area McDonald's, and the parties involved remain unidentified.

WHAT'S FALSE: The teens involved have been identified as Black Lives Matter activists and are sought in connection with a "previous incident."


http://www.snopes.com/marine-attack-blm-claim/


This story didn't pass the smell test for me either.

[Recursion]

22. I've specifically avoided the BLM aspect

Because, as I said above, trauma and memory are mortal enemies.

[4Q2u2]

25. You know better than that

Last edited Thu Feb 18, 2016, 02:19 PM - Edit history (1)

From reading your posts, I get the sense that you are very familiar with the Corps.
He never implicated the BLM movement. He stated that they were asking him if "Black Lives Matter".
Secondly you state that trauma and memory are mortal enemies, but who better trained to cut thru the trauma remain focused on the task at hand and "Pay attention to Detail". Maybe a Decorated Combat Marine?

I also see others saying that him being a Veteran gives him no special corner on his crime, that is only partially correct. For some seem all to pleased to say fuck him and other derogatory statements that would never be said about other crime victims.

His service has nothing to do with the Illegal War in Iraq. He did not unilaterally involve this country in that War. Secondly take a look at either the picture or the statue and read his Bronze Star Citation. It looks to me like he is serving nobody but his brother Marine.
Whatever happened to Support the Soldier protest the War. Soldier Shaming is no different than blaming the deficit on Welfare, neither is the truth.

[hack89]

26. He never said they were BLM activists.

and it is most likely they were not. They were just punks out looking for a fight.

[shawn703]

27. I agree

Upthread there was a comment about how the RW press is running with the BLM element of the story.

Like so:
http://m.townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/02/17/black-lives-matter-activists-reportedly-attack-us-marine-at-dc-mcdonalds-n2120652

[Oneironaut]

29. That's the state of crappy sensationalist online "journalism" these days.

Of the crap that isn't 100% made up, the rest is the result of agenda-based cherry-picking.

[DustyJoe]

30. To be sure

A headline of

Decorated black Marine assaulted and beaten by a group of latino teens would garner the same response.