Brutal assault over 'racial slur' in Macy's was unprovoked, investigation finds

A video of a man beating another man in a Flint, Michigan Macy's store that went viral on social media was widely claimed to be racially motivated, but it turns out the brutal beating was not provoked by a racial slur, according to local Fox affiliate Fox 66.

Activist Tariq Nasheed took to Twitter to amplify the now-debunked claim that violent assault was racially motivated. The video has been viewed over one million times.

"A man at a store in #Flint allegedly referred to a Black man in the store as a “n***er” while talking on the #phone," he writes. "The Black man overheard him, then things went left."

The video shows a black male customer walking up to a white male employee and punching him repeatedly. The employee asks why this is happening, and apologizes.

An investigation was launched into the incident by police, and it was discovered that the beating was unprovoked. Apparently, the man on the receiving end of the attack, an employee of Macy's, did not speak the "n-word."

Police in Flint are currently looking to speak with two men, Damire Canell Palmer, who is 18-year-old, and Damarquay Jovan, who is 22-years-old.

According to police, the assailants fled after the attack. Surveillance footage shows the attack, but the video taken by cell phone camera was shared on social media.

The man who was attacked was on an internal store call, which was recorded per company policy, and there is no recording of the employee using a racial slur.

Police are currently searching for Damire Palmer (left) and Damarquay Palmer (right) in connection to the incident.

Macy's released a statement that read:

"We are deeply saddened about the incident that took place on Monday at Macy’s Genesee Valley as the safety of Macy’s customers and colleagues is our top priority. Violence in the workplace of any kind is unacceptable. All the materials from the evening have been reviewed and it is clear that the attack was unprovoked. We are working closely with local authorities on this investigation, and will defer any further comments about the case to them per policy.

"Since this event, Macy’s and mall management have added additional security to ensure our customers and colleagues can safely enjoy their shopping experience."

Police urge anyone who knows anything about the incident or the men who may have been involved to call Detective Hart at 810-600-3250, or Crime Stoppers at 800-422-5245.