Police investigating after Richmond teens held at gunpoint, forced to strip

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond police are investigating after disturbing video surfaced online of two Richmond teens being held at gunpoint, robbed and forced to strip and run through a neighborhood.

It is unclear when the video was taken and posted online. However, the situation happened in an alleyway along Afton Avenue. Community activists like Charles Willis with United Communities Against Crime said the video is deeply concerning.

“Stunned, hurt, angry, upset, frustrated, disappointed,” Willis said. “To watch this… to see these kids beat on, humiliated, taunted, bullied…these are teenagers. These are kids.”

The video shows four teenagers in total — two victims and two suspects. Near the beginning of the clip, one of the suspects, while holding a gun, forces the other two to say demeaning slurs about a Richmond neighborhood.

“Where you from lil bruh? Where you from,” said one teen, holding the camera. Seconds later, you can see one of the victim teens getting slapped. You can then hear “If you try to run, I’ll shoot your dumb a**.”

The video then shows the other teen victim getting slapped and robbed of a chain necklace. The gunman flips the camera around and shows himself putting the chain around his own neck.

“Take off ya’ll clothes right now. Take them all off right now,” said the teen holding the phone. “Take these shoes and pants off.”

Richmond police are investigating after disturbing video surfaced online of two Richmond teens being held at gunpoint, robbed and forced to strip and run through a neighborhood. (Photo: 8News)

The teens are then forced to throw their clothes in a nearby dumpster and perform jumping jacks, nude, before running off through the neighborhood.

“I cried. Watching it…My heart pounds and then the teardrops,” Willis said after seeing the video again. “Being a father of four young men…the last thing I would want is for one of my sons to be attacked like that or humiliated like that.”

Willis said that he and other community leaders held a meeting with Acting Richmond Chief Rick Edwards on Tuesday about solutions in the aftermath of the video.

“We need to wrap our loving arms around these two young men,” Willis said. “And the ones that did the act of crime need to be sent to a department. There’s a department for these young folks…it’s the Department of Corrections.”

In a statement to 8News, Richmond Police said no one reported the incident to them. However, detectives in the First Precinct have been assigned to investigate.

“This behavior is deeply shocking and disturbing to its core,” Edwards said. “Not only do we need to find those responsible, we need to get resources and support to these young men as soon as possible. I have asked our Strategic Violence Interdiction Unit to support this investigative effort.”

At the time of this report, Richmond Police said no one has been arrested in connection to this video. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Wilson at 804-646-0672.