Arrests made in killing of American tourist in Greece
Police say a crowd of men beat the recent college graduate to death outside a bar
A Texas college graduate who was beaten to death while on vacation in Greece was trying to run away from the gang who allegedly killed him, surveillance footage revealed.
Bakari Henderson, 22, of Austin suffered from fatal head injuries in the beating last Friday on the island Zakinthos.
CAUTION: GRAPHIC VIDEO
In the security footage, Henderson is spotted fleeing along the sidewalk when one of the men – who police identified as six Serbian nationals – body-slammed him into the floor, the Daily Mail reported.
AMERICAN TOURIST, 22, BEATEN TO DEATH ON GREEK ISLAND
He was then repeatedly punched and kicked for about 20 seconds until a woman passed by and told them to stop.
According to a friend who was with Henderson at the time, the attack was sparked after the college graduate and some friends set down their drinks at the other end of a table where two men were sitting, CBS News reported.
The friend said the two men grabbed the beers, smashed them on the table and used the shattered bottles as weapons.
Local media reported that the incident began because Henderson and his friends wanted to take a photo with a waitress. The friend claimed the reports are untrue.
Five of the nine men suspected in the attack appeared before an investigating magistrate on Wednesday. The suspects include one Greek, seven Serbs and one British citizen of Serbian origin.
Policeman in plain clothes lead two suspects , center, as they enter the court in Zakynthos island, Greece, Tuesday, July 11, 2017. (imerazande.gr via AP)
The other four are scheduled to appear on Thursday. The judge will make a decision for each man on whether to set bail or to remand them in custody pending trial.
In the CCTV footage, obtained by Greek newspaper Protothema, Henderson is seen wearing a light colored T-shirt and pants.
After getting body slammed to the ground, one attacker can be seen kicking him in the back while another one punches him in the face.
The attackers were pushed away and a woman is seen standing over Henderson’s body stopping them from going near him, the Daily Mail reported.
Greek police have confirmed the video is genuine.
Henderson graduated in May from the University of Arizona with a degree in business administration. His family said in a news release that he was in Greece working on a photo shoot to launch a clothing line.
In this 2016 photo provided by John Gramlich shows, Bakari Henderson, left, with friend Travis Jenkins, in Austin, Texas. Henderson, of Austin and recent graduate from the University of Arizona, was beaten to death early Friday, July 7, 2017, at a bar in Lagana on the Greek island of Zakynthos. (Provided Photo/John Gramlich via AP)
"He was the guy who walked around campus and knew everyone. He was so determined in life, I mean he had dreams of starting a clothing line and opening his own business and he inspired me to work harder," Henderson's college friend, Alyssa White, told KVUE television station in Austin. Henderson's aunt, Jan Richardson, told The Associated Press on Monday that her nephew had planned to travel to Spain after his time in Greece.
She said the family doesn't have any "definitive answers or knowledge about what actually happened," but that they are trying to keep their interactions with the authorities private. She said their focus is on getting her nephew's body returned home, which they hope will happen this week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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