Atlanta Police investigators are following up on complaints after a video that surfaced Thursday (June 18) of a young kid being abused by his family on the front porch of his home. The video was screen recorded from an Instagram Live and later sent to Gaye to report as evidence.
Based on the little information Gaye has been provided from the video, which was originally posted by Instagram user @mylifeas_marko, the young boy’s name is Tyler. In the video, a woman behind the camera who is allegedly Tyler’s sister along with several other people can be heard calling Tyler a “gay ass b*tch” for “doing gay sh*t”.
During the video, the camera zooms in on Tyler’s head, in which the word “gay” is defacingly etched on the side of his head using some type of hair clipper as an act of punishment.
A man then proceeds to slap and punch Tyler, while firmly gripping the back of his neck. As of now, there's no way to confirm whether his mother was present or not during the incident.
Watch the Video below: (Viewer Discretion Advised)
Later the same day, Tyler took to Instagram Live after the viral video made its rounds on social media, seemingly confirming that his brother and sister was in the video.
During the live Tyler says, "My brother and dem, they didn't abuse me. They were just showing me [that I] need to stop doing that. I just wanted to get this off of my sister, like my sister didn't do nothing or my brother, they were just showing me the right thing to do. It wasn't like they was abusing me...they would never do things like that."
In the video it appears Tyler was being coached to deny being abused, as for someone can be heard telling him, "say it n*gga' in the background.
Watch Below:
Thursday morning (June 18), Gaye Magazine was contacted by detective Tracy Casey of the Atlanta Police Department's Special Victims Unit. Upon returning the call, we were advised by detective Casey to speak directly to Chata Spikes, Director of Public Affairs of the Atlanta Police Department. Our team has provided any and all information that we obtained from our coverage and from followers regarding Tyler and will continue to serve as a resource to the police until a resolution is reached.
In addition, Director Spikes provided an official statement to Gaye on behalf of the tragic situation.
“We are not aware of a criminal complaint made to the Atlanta Police Department. Needless to say, the description of the event is distressing, and our Special Victim’s Unit and the commander of the LGBTQ Liaison Unit are aware of the existence of the video. An investigator is working to follow up and find out if this occurred in the City of Atlanta and, if it did, APD will fully investigate. If it did not occur in our jurisdiction the appropriate agency will be notified. If you learn more about this incident, please forward that information to us."
Gaye has been advised to encourage anyone who may have more information on this act of cruelty to reach out to the Atlanta Police Special Victims Unit directly at (404) 546-5531 or the ATLPD LGBTQ Liaison Unit at 404-546-LGBT (5428) or email Lgbtq@atlantaga.gov.
Gaye Magazine prides ourselves on providing a platform for underrepresented groups within the LGBTQ community and shedding light on stories like these to bring awareness and change the narrative. We strive to be a main recourse and report anything that affects LGBTQ+ rights down in our community.
We will continue to provide any updates on this story so long as we’re able to. Moving forward, our number one priority is the safety of Tyler. #JusticeForTyler
UPDATE (6/19/2021) - Tyler Reportedly Removed from Home By Georgia DFCS After Video Surfaces of Him Being Abused by Family for Being Gay, Court Date Set
As of 12 a.m. last night (June 19), Tyler - a 12 year old boy who we recently reported being abused on Instagram Live by his family for being gay, was removed from his mother’s custody by the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services.
Trans activist and organizer Hope Giselle recently took to Instagram Live with District 9 Atlanta City council candidate Devin Barrington Ward to update the public on the whereabouts and safety of Tyler and his family.
During the live segment, he informs that upon visiting Tyler’s residence, which happens to be in his running District, that Tyler’s mother and family were living impoverished and suffering from systemic neglect.
Barrington-Ward details that he and his partner provided aid to Tyler’s mother and family through purchasing “toiletries and food”, along with a tablet for Tyler, in which he describes Tyler being “very grateful for”.
As of this morning, Tyler’s mother contacted Devin to inform him that Georgia DFCS, removed him from the home around midnight. A court date has reportedly been set, however Gaye is still awaiting details on the official date and time the hearing will take place.
Update (7/16/2021) - Three Adults Arrested After Viral Video Surfaced of Them Abusing 12 Year Old 'Tyler' for "Being Gay"
According to Fox 5 Atlanta reporter Eric Perry who tweeted today (July 16), "three adults were arrested for verbally and physically abusing a young boy b/c his sexual orientation. The viral video showed him being hit repeatedly and someone shaved 'gay' on the side of his head. They are charged with cruelty to children and battery."
The adults arrested have been identified as Jordan Jarrode Richards-Nwankwo, 18, Lorkeyla Jamia Spencer, 19, and Brittney Monique Mills, 35.
The City of Atlanta Police Department announced on Saturday in a Facebook Post, that "19-year-old Lorkeyla Jamia Spencer was charged with Cruelty to Children, 35-year-old Brittney Monique Mills was charged with Cruelty to Children and 18-year-old Jordan Jarrode Richards-Nwankwo was charged with Cruelty to Children and Battery – Family Violence. All are now in custody at the Fulton County Jail.".
"The behavior in this social media post was difficult to watch and is absolutely unacceptable. We are appreciative of the number of people who flagged this case with us and for those who provided information on the location where it took place. Our investigators worked hard to identify those involved and to gather the evidence needed to place each behind bars and we are thankful for their work."
Gaye Magazine will continue to follow the story and provide updates on Tyler from Atlanta Police officials.
Editor's Note:
Thank You Gayes for Your Help! 🙏🏽❤️ Special thanks to @mylifeas_marko for posting the original video that was later sent to us as evidence to get Tyler’s story seen and heard. Thank you @hopegiselle and @devinbarringtonward for doing the ground work, along with everyone in between who shared and assisted in any capacity.
There is still much more work to be done to #SaveTyler, as for now he is a part of the DFCS system. Let’s be fully aware, that the work is not over to cure the world’s homophobia. Let’s continue to stand together in unity. It is truly the Only way we win. 🌈
