The father of a man captured on video beating up a Detroit nursing home resident has claimed that his son has a history of mental illness, and that he shouldn't have been in the facility following a coronavirus diagnosis.
The shocking video surfaced on Thursday, showing the unnamed 20-year-old resident beating up another patient at the Westwood Nursing Center. The video went viral, even attracting the attention of President Trump, who reacted on Twitter with disbelief.
Now, the younger man’s father has said that his son was never meant to be in the facility in the first place. Neither the son nor the father have been identified in any reporting, partially because no charges have yet been filed.
He claimed that his son was put in the facility after a 911 call, but he was meant to be moved after a COVID-19 diagnosis.
"It should've never happened because he should've never been put in that environment," the father told FOX 2 Detroit. "I just don't want people to think that he's this vicious individual. He's got mental issues."
The father further revealed that his son has a pending case in Washtena County, where he is accused of assaulting a staff member at another home. He claims his son has long suffered from behavioral issues and was not properly monitored at Westwood.
"Had I known he was there I would've never have consented to it," the father said.
Westwood Nursing Center in Detroit
Police and care home faculty had originally been unaware of the incident. After the video went viral, users on social media reached out to police to report it.
Police in Detroit, Ann Arbor and other parts of Michigan received calls regarding the video. Detroit police thanked the public in a twitter message.
"Thank you to everyone for your assistance in bringing the senior home incident to our attention," the department wrote. "The @detroitpolice is investigating the situation and an arrest has been made. Thank you again."
Detroit police believe the incident occurred May 15, during a nursing home lockdown that remains in effect because of the coronavirus, FOX 2 reported.
Dom Calicchio contributed to this report.
