This Was Unexpected!
By: Tommy “Tj” Sotomayor

I was doing a show where I was saying that I wanted all of the smoke when a blast from the past called into my show to explain how he ended up on TNN Raw.

David Steven Bell is a white man who at one point was trying to break up a fight with teens when the teens began to push and surround him. At one point a teen ran up to him and was immediately knocked out and the world went crazy!

David called into my live show and here is what happened.. PS the knock out video is on here as well…

• David Steven Bell, 51, was arrested over the weekend on assault charges after video surfaced showing him punching an 11-year-old black girl in the face outside the Asheville Mall in North Carolina.
• Video of the episode quickly went viral online, sparking widespread outrage.
• On Monday, Bell’s attorney spoke with the Asheville Citizen Times and said his client had PTSD and felt threatened by what the attorney called a “pack of youths” who surrounded Bell.

The attorney for a white man who was filmed punching a black girl in the face last weekend is speaking out to defend his client’s actions.

David Steven Bell, 51, was arrested on assault charges Saturday after video showed him punching an unidentified 11-year-old girl outside the Asheville Mall in North Carolina.

Video of the assault quickly went viral and has been viewed millions of times online. Some have called the incident racist.

On Monday, Bell’s attorney, Andy Banzhoff, spoke out for the first time about the incident that got his client arrested and charged with assaulting a child under the age of 12.

In a statement to the Citizen Times, Banzhoff said Bell was undergoing long-term treatment for a traumatic brain injury, had post-traumatic stress disorder, and felt threatened by “a large pack of youths.”

“His actions were not motivated by any animus towards the persons in that group,” the statement said. “Mr. Bell’s belief is that all persons are created equal and that we are all children of God.”

While Banzhoff did not directly blame post-tramautic stress disorder for Bell’s actions, his mentioning it in relation to the case could invoke myths surrounding PTSD and violence. Studies have shown people with PTSD are not more likely to commit violence. The US Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 8 million American adults have PTSD in a given year and that as many as 8% of Americans will have it at some point in their lives.

Banzhoff said Bell was at the mall with his family on Saturday when he saw a group of kids “harassing a woman” inside a Barnes & Noble.

Banzhoff said Bell responded by telling store employees to call security and then escorting the woman outside the store personally.

—Asheville Mall (@AshevilleMall) January 13, 2019

The group of kids followed, encircling Bell and making it impossible for him to leave, according to his attorney. Banzhoff said some of the kids started taunting Bell and yelling threatening remarks at him. He claims that one girl pushed Bell in the back and another approached him “in an aggressive manner.”

Read more: People are outraged after a bystander video emerged that shows a 6-foot-5, 250-pound white man punching an 11-year-old black girl in the face

It was at this point that Bell shoved the girl in front of him, causing her to lose her balance and take several steps backward, Banzhoff said.

“She then got to her feet and aggressively charged in the direction of Mr. Bell. As she entered Mr. Bell’s personal face, he struck her with a closed fist,” Banzhoff told the Citizen Times.

Sonseray Talbot-Reed@sonseray125

As a grown MAN more than twice the size of the 11 yr old child he assaulted, he could have easily walked away. It was the easier choice, yet he decided to engage and become violent. Why? Because he thought he could get away with it. #WhitePrivilege https://apple.news/A0uuaSJEVQ-GBFTnpM7v9Tg …Middle-aged white man punches black girl in the face outside mallThe altercation involving 51-year-old David Steven Bell and the 11-year-old victim was captured on cellphone video Saturday evening outside the Asheville Mall in North Carolina.apple.news310:34 AM – Jan 15, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy25 people are talking about this

Kathy White@LovieW4grands

This man hit this unruly child with a full fisted left hook that put her on the ground after he pushed her two handed in the chest. Why didn’t he just walk away? Why engage? Why not call professionals? https://apple.news/A0uuaSJEVQ-GBFTnpM7v9Tg …Middle-aged white man punches black girl in the face outside mallThe altercation involving 51-year-old David Steven Bell and the 11-year-old victim was captured on cellphone video Saturday evening outside the Asheville Mall in North Carolina.apple.news810:36 AM – Jan 15, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy19 people are talking about this

Banzhoff said that the group dispersed after that and that Bell soon flagged down an Asheville police officer. Bell was arrested at the scene.

He was initially charged with assaulting a child under the age of 12. After the incident, two 13-year-old girls told authorities that Bell shoved them as well, and he received two additional charges of assault on a female.

All three charges are misdemeanors. He is due in court to face the charges on February 5.

Banzhoff said his client regretted using physical force and that he and his family were praying for healing for “those impacted by this unfortunate incident.”

The video quickly went viral online, where some accused the man featured of racism. It was shared by the journalist Shaun King and the comedian D.L. Hughley. Many said the man, since identified as Bell, could have easily walked away from the girl, who did not appear to be a physical threat to him.