Lone man who stepped up and stopped brutal beating of elderly worker at rap concert tells why he intervened: 'Had to be done'

A cellphone video began going viral about a week ago showing a young male knocking down an elderly worker at a Kansas City concert venue and delivering well over a dozen blows to the worker's face and head.

The brutal attack took place two Sundays ago during a rap concert featuring NBA YoungBoy at the T-Mobile Center. Police confirmed to Blaze News that the suspect is under the age of 16.

'I was raised with morals and values. You can’t act like that, especially to our elders.'

The victim of the attack caught on video — 66-year-old Thomas Schlange — is seen on the clip trying to push away the teenager who towers over him, but Schlange has no chance. The teen begins delivering a flurry of lefts and rights as Schlange is flat on his back and trapped on the floor between two rows of seats.

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Finally a man is seen on the clip pulling the teen off the victim, who appears dazed, and blood is seen around his mouth as others try to help him up.

That man — the only person who stepped up and stopped the brutal beating — is Antonio Clayter, and he told WDAF-TV what he saw in that moment and why he intervened.

Clayter told the the station that Schlange was "just doing his job" when “the kid just pushed him; he just spazzed out, and he pushed him."

Before long, the teen suspect was hovering over Schlange and pummeling him in the head with his fists. Then suddenly Clayter appears in the camera frame and pulls the attacker off Schlange.

“I had to,” Clayter recalled to WDAF. “It wasn’t even a feeling; it was something that had to be done. Like, I have family members that are that age. This isn’t right. ... I was raised with morals and values. You can’t act like that, especially to our elders.”

Clayter also offered a warning to the teen, the station said: “You can’t grow up with that type of mentality, because you’re not gonna get far in life at all. … I’ve been in trouble, and I know what road that you can go down. ... You’re not gonna get anywhere good besides prison or dead that way, bro."

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WDAF in a previous story said the suspect also assaulted a security guard who ejected him from the venue.

A T-Mobile Center spokesperson told Blaze News that the staff members "sustained serious injuries. After receiving prompt care from on-site first aid personnel, they were later treated at a local hospital for their injuries."

Officer Alayna Gonzalez of the Kansas City Police Department told Blaze News that the "juvenile male was detained and subsequently released to his guardian pending further investigation."

Police also told Blaze News that detectives on Friday submitted a case file to juvenile court "for consideration of applicable charges" against the teen suspect. The station also said police were expected to meet Friday with Schlange — who is at home and recovering — as part of their investigation.

As for Schlange, he told WDAF in a follow-up story that "I went down and had blows to my head" and that his priority in those moments was "just getting him off, getting him off of me … because he was so enraged, so we were just, in essence, trying to protect the fans."

So what allegedly set off the suspect?

Witness and local pastor Robert McDaniel told the station the attack commenced after the suspect was told his ticket didn’t match the seat he was in.

“He was asked to move to another place because his ticket wasn’t where he was sitting, and immediately he just completely lost it,” McDaniel recounted to WDAF.

McDaniel also remarked to the station that the disturbing video underscores the inability of some teens these days to control their emotions.

“But there is something going on in his heart that needs to be fixed, and what that is is his emotions,” McDaniel added to WDAF. “He needs to learn how to operate and work through and process those emotions.”

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