Police arrest suspect who brutally beat Macy's manager in 'unprovoked attack'

An 18-year-old man, who was charged in an "unprovoked attack" on a Macy's manager in Michigan, was arrested Thursday night.

Damire Canell Palmer was charged with felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder on June 26. The charges stemmed from the vicious June 15 attack on a Macy's employee at the Genesee Valley Center shopping mall in Flint Township.

The physical assault was captured on video and went viral last month. Cellphone video shows the aggressor landing several punches on the 50-year-old Macy's manager, and knocking him to the ground.

Surveillance video from Macy's reportedly shows Palmer walking around the department store before he approaches the manager in the men's clothing section and then punching him in the head.

There were allegations that the manager, who is white, said a racial slur toward the suspect, who is black. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said investigators did not find any evidence of the Macy's employee making racial comments or doing anything to provoke the attack.

"This was an unprovoked attack on a Macy's employee," Leyton said on June 26. "This behavior, as seen on the video, is unacceptable, it is criminal and it cannot be allowed."

"We don't believe any racial slur was made by the store manager, and even if there had been, it does not condone nor justify the assault by Mr. Palmer," Leyton added.

"Violence in the workplace of any kind is unacceptable," Andrea Schwartz, senior director of media relations for Macy's, said in a statement last month. "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."

President Donald Trump retweeted the video of the attack on June 22.

"Looks what's going on here," he tweeted. "Where are the protesters? Was this man arrested?"

Palmer, who is from Mount Morris, was also was charged with misdemeanor retail fraud. Felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

Palmer's brother, who filmed the video, will likely not be charged since he did not commit any crimes, according to the New York Post.