What we have ourselves here, folks, is a genuine, bona fide mystery. If you can think of any reason something like this could happen in America in 2014, help me out, because I’m stumped.

Paul Hampel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Some Ferguson protest strategists turned on one of their own Thursday night, allegedly beating a man they accused of sending out unauthorized video of a meeting at Greater St. Mark Missionary Church in unincorporated north St. Louis County…

The victim, identified as Chris Schaefer, an University of Missouri-St. Louis student, was chased from the church, at 9950 Glen Owen Drive, and beaten outside. He was treated for his injuries at a hospital.

Patricia Bynes, a stalwart of the protest movement who attended the meeting, blamed members of the protest group Lost Voices for the attack…

Bynes said Schaefer ran in a panic onto Chambers Road, where he tried in vain to flag down passing vehicles for help. She said Schaefer was able to reach the relative security of the Walgreens pharmacy at Chambers and West Florissant roads in Dellwood.

County Police spokesman Brian Schellman said officers were called to the Walgreens.

“The victim told officers that five or six men had dragged him from St. Mark’s Church and beat him in the head and body,” Schellman said Friday.

Here’s Schaefer describing the attack:

“I got hurt tonight. Somebody thought I was… maybe they thought I was a cop, or they thought that I was livestreaming something that shouldn’t have been livestreamed.”

Yeah, that’s probably it. What other possible reason could there be?

It certainly couldn’t be racially motivated. I mean, look at the guy!

(Hat tip: Jim Hoft)

Update:

Chris Schaefer, the student beaten by Ferguson protesters, has a GoFundMe page for his hospital bills —> http://t.co/FFzJTPnmNI — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) November 7, 2014

Update: On the other hand…

Chris, an unfamiliar white guy goes to a strategy meeting of protestors in #Ferguson. He livestreams it against the wishes of mtg leaders. — Auntie Di (@OhDianeMarie) November 7, 2014

Dude was hurt. Had to go to hospital. But…you know what? You can’t walk into an oven and expect to be safe from the heat. @wyzwomyn — Auntie Di (@OhDianeMarie) November 7, 2014

@OhDianeMarie more like walking into a perfectly placid bear’s cave and stabbing it with a stick, expecting nothing to happen. — Gratefulwomyn (@wyzwomyn) November 7, 2014

Oh…idk. Tensions are high. Rightfully so. The leaders of these meetings have every reason to be VERY suspicious of white faces. @wyzwomyn — Auntie Di (@OhDianeMarie) November 7, 2014

@OhDianeMarie not disagreeing. Just saying that you can’t violate people’s agency and expect no consequences. — Gratefulwomyn (@wyzwomyn) November 7, 2014

Update: Before you click this link, make sure to check your privilege.