In a truly horrifying moment that the attacker reportedly uploaded to YouTube himself, a 16-year-old strikes a 12-year-old repeatedly with brass knuckles. The initial affidavit identified the aggressor as Kane Millsaps, 16, of Conway, Arkansas.
The video was reportedly uploaded on May 31, 2016 – the same day as the attack. The victim’s family showed the video to the police the next day, and Millsaps was arrested on June 2, after meeting with his probation officer. On June 3, the teen pled not guilty to first-degree battery, a felony, and possessing an instrument of crime, a misdemeanor.
On the 23-second video, Millsaps can be seen interacting with a girl who is perhaps trying to dissuade him. A set of brass knuckles can be seen clearly on his left hand.
The girl steps back, and Millsaps gives the finger to the camera with both hands. Then, with a slight, chilling grin on his face, he winds up and strikes the 12-year-old in the head. The boy was hit entirely unaware, and was looking away at the time.
Millsaps then hovers over the 12-year-old and strikes him three more times.
He is stopped by the girl, who pulls him by the shirt, and says “Get the f-ck off him.”
The video was recorded by another female, on Millsaps’ own phone. She told investigators that Millsaps told her the victim had provoked him. However, she also said that the victim had, in fac, done no such thing.
According to the police affidavit, Millsaps said he hit the victim for “running his mouth saying he was an MMA fighter and he could beat him up.”
The victim says plausibly that he does not know Millsaps.
WARNING: This footage is extremely disturbing. Viewer discretion advised.
— Paragon (@paragon8076) June 20, 2020
“The victim said he lost consciousness after being hit and ‘when he woke up he thought he had gravel in his mouth but it was pieces of his teeth,’” the police affidavit stated, according to Marisa Hicks for The Log Cabin Democrat. “He found the brass knuckles at his apartment complex. After the incident, he threw them in the dumpster.”
“The video is disturbing,” acknowledged Millsaps’ attorney. “It caused me, like everyone else that saw it, a good bit of discomfort.” He added, however, that “if he gets the maximum sentence, which I hope he doesn’t, he’ll get out when he is 36 years old …then what?”
“The bigger question is why we as Arkansans don’t address mental health issues. I think it’s a tragedy, and it has caused not only my client to be incarcerated because of this but it’s also caused a victim to be injured.”
The suspect’s mother spoke with FOX 16 and offered apologies to the victim’s family. He said her son, “deals with mental issues and recently spent a year-and-a-half at the juvenile detention center for fighting.” She further described him as, not a bad kid and as sweet as can be.
Millsap was declared fit to stand trial, and in November of 2017, a jury convicted him, by then 17, of second-degree battery. He was immediately sentenced to nine years in prison. He remains incarcerated, but maintains a social network account.
