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Man dressed as Nazi officer arrested for assault
Chaotic moments caught on camera in downtown Athens. A man dressed as a Nazi was arrested after police say he attacked a University of Georgia student who confronted him. Jail records show the 33-year-old has been booked on a charge of aggravated assault and two misdemeanor counts of battery.
ATHENS, Ga. - A man seen in downtown Athens wearing a full Nazi uniform was arrested after police say he attacked a University of Georgia student who confronted him.
A Nazi at an Athens bar
What we know:
Athens police confirmed 33-year-old Kenneth Morgan was booked on a felony count of aggravated assault and two misdemeanor battery charges. Jail records show he has since been released.
Video posted to X, which UGA officials say they have reviewed, shows a crowd gathering around the man outside a bar on Clayton Street. In the clip, Morgan appears to strike a student with an object in his hand while dressed in a Nazi officer costume with a swastika armband.
What we don't know:
The motive behind the costume was not known.
Authorities have not released the details surrounding the assault.
It was not immediately known if Morgan had retained legal representation.
UGA students stunned over SS-style uniform
What they're saying:
Students who witnessed the incident say they were stunned.
"I can't believe that people are dressing up as Nazi officers. I think it's a shame," said UGA junior Joseph Bird.
A university spokesperson confirmed Morgan is not a UGA student and has no affiliation with the school. Bird said classmates were right to step in.
"Even though I believe in freedom of speech, I think hateful speech like that, because that is hateful, violent speech should not be tolerated in our country," Bird said.
Dov Wilker, Southeast director of the American Jewish Committee, condemned the costume and praised the crowd’s response.
"To represent the Nazi regime like that on a day, on a holiday, for a party, for whatever the case may be, is absolutely inappropriate," Wilker said. "I actually think that that's the vote of confidence that we need, you know, that we should be standing up to individuals like this."
The Southern Poverty Law Center said Halloween is no excuse for extremist imagery.
"I mean, costumes are expected around this time of the year, but certain imagery, like the Nazi swastika like, carries a legacy of extremism, hate and violence," said Yterenickia Bell with the SPLC.
What's next:
UGA says its Student Care and Outreach team is in contact with the student who was attacked and others who were present that night.
Morgan's next court appearance has not been announced. Since his arrest, he has bonded out of the Athens-Clarke County Jail.
The Source: FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo spoke with Joseph Bird, UGA junior and eyewitness; a University of Georgia spokesperson; Dov Wilker, Southeast director of the American Jewish Committee; and Yterenickia Bell, Southern Poverty Law Center. Jail and court records were also used.