Marine recovering in Texas after possible racial assault at Mississippi Waffle House

Ralph Weems, 32, is recovering in a VA facility in Texas months after suffering a beating from a crowd of people outside of a Huddle House in West Point, the Clarion-Ledger reported. Ralph Weems, 32, is recovering in a VA facility in Texas months after suffering a beating from a crowd of people outside of a Huddle House in West Point, the Clarion-Ledger reported. Photo: Fechter, Joshua I, Screenshot Via Facebook Photo: Fechter, Joshua I, Screenshot Via Facebook Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close Marine recovering in Texas after possible racial assault at Mississippi Waffle House 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

A white former U.S. Marine who served in Iraq "is not coming home anytime soon" after sustaining a traumatic brain injury during a possible racially motivated beating in Mississippi, according to the man's father.

Ralph Weems, 32, is recovering in a VA facility in Texas months after suffering a beating from a crowd of people outside of a Huddle House in West Point, the Clarion-Ledger reported.

'He's physically made a lot of improvements,' father Ralph Weems III told the Clarion-Ledger. 'Traumatic brain injury takes a long time to recover in a lot of ways.'

Three men, all African-American, have been charged with aggravated assault in the beating: Constance Levail McFarland, 21, Courtez McMillian, 22, and Marquavious McMillian, 20.

The FBI and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident to determine whether it was a hate crime.

Weems and a friend had left a Waffle House during an evening in August after Weems began arguing with seven black men inside of the Waffle House, the Daily Mail reported. Earlier, a man man politely told them the restaurant was not "safe for whites" in the aftermath of the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Weems and the other patrons were asked to leave by restaurant staff, according to the Daily Mail.

The friend, David Knighten, told police the pair then went to an empty Huddle House, but were followed by 20 black men, according to the Daily Mail.

Knighten said he returned from the restroom to see Weems surrounded, but people blocked him from leaving with WEems.

Knighten, who said he heard racial slurs being yelled from crowd members, saw people kicking Weems while he was down on the ground.

Police were called at around 2 a.m., according to the Daily Mail. Evidence said a "a verbal altercation turned physical and somebody got hurt," West Point Police Chief Tim Brinkley said.

A GoFundMe page says Weems has received more than $10,000 of the needed $25,000 to cover medical expenses.

"All things considered he's doing pretty well, but he's still got a long way to go," Weems' father said.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports