Salon Beating Video: New Details

It was one of the more disturbing videos we've seen -- several women enter an Oakland beauty salon, bar the door, and attack the salon owner. Two of the women take turns punching and kicking Melissa Seals, while a third videotapes the attack last month.

The titles on the video imply that Seals was beaten for "talkin' too much". And, two women who claim to have carried out the beating called radio station KMEL last week to say they targeted Seals: "Yeah, maybe we're wrong for going about it the way that we did, but she deserved every bit of that for the sh-- she talked about. When you're mad you react differently when you're mad and we handled it maybe the wrong way. But we're glad we did it, because she, she exploited our business to her clients." The women claim Seals talked about their sexual activity to their parents and other clients of the salon. But, Seals told us a former boyfriend is behind the attack, that she spotted him watching the beating through the window of her salon. Seals says she has filed for restraining orders against her attackers and the ex-boyfriend.

This raw video has gone viral, getting more than 223,000 hits since we posted it on our Web site last week. Melissa Seals says she’s been amazed at the outpouring of attention from across the country and around the world. Her Facebook and MySpace pages have been flooded with messages and new friend requests. “I had 64 pages of friend requests on Facebook,” she says. “I had so many pages of requests on MySpace that I couldn’t even approve all the people … too many to count.”

Most of the emails have been supportive, she says. “Everybody says you know, ‘I’m sorry about what happened to you. It was wrong. They will get theirs. We want justice for you.’ Things like that.” One email came from Afghanistan. “He just pretty much said he was praying for me.”

We'll stay on top of this and tell you when/if anyone's arrested. By the way, I tried to reach the attackers and Seals' former boyfriend -- the most recent phone numbers I could find for them have been disconnected.

Comments

[patti may]

low life....she was stupid to keep going back at them like that. she needs to stop the gossip!!

[Maria]

Where did those girls live? They all looked like they came out of the sewer! They treated her just like that looked... like DOGS! When your raised in the litter you can't help but act like a pit..Taking up for your friend because of he say...a bunch of low life dummies! Trust me those water roaches will get karate kicked more than a few times when they get locked up...LOL!

[adult]

The females that entered the shop need to be charged with assault and for holding the salon owner captive. They got O J for less. The x-boyfriend is a coward for his role in it. Those people that were in the shop at the time. They should be ashamed for sitting there and watching. That is why people in the bay don't go to Oakland and why Oakland lacks good businesses. Who wants to be surrounded by people that just stand by watch and laugh when wrong is done. Besides we all know what happens in the Hair shop/Barber shop. Someone had to share information with her in order for her to share it with someone else. SAD! Oh and SANA G... tasteless as usual.

[Tristan Brown]

Instead of sitting on their tails. The Oakland Police should do something. If not the mayor's office is going to have a long summer. Examples should be made. What a disgrace. They want to act like wild animals, then lock them up like animals. New Recession proof industry private owned prisons. "I hear the real reason they beat her is because she wouldnt take foodstamps as payment for their hair". LOL... Such a typical urban news story.

[shay]

THAT IS WRONG FOR MELLISA TO SAY THAT HER EX BOYFRIEND HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS. HE DONT MESS WITH HER ANYMORE SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIM AND TELLING HIS BUSINESS TO OTHER PEOPLE ALSO!! THE FIGHT WAS NOT OVER HIM!! AND IF THE DOOR WAS LOCK HOW COULD HE COME IN AND HELP HER?? MELLISA IS MAD AND SHE NEED TO STOP BRINGING HIM INTO THIS FEMALE MESS.ON KMEL THAT GIRLS ALSO STATED THAT THE FIGHT WAS NOT OVER A BOY!! BUT THEY DIDNT LET EVERYONE HERE THE WHOLE CONVERSATION TO EVERYONE IN THE WORLD SO THEY CAN HERE IT ALSO AND THAT IS F__K UP!! S__T HE DONT F__K WITH HER AND SHE KNOW IT AND EVERYBODY ELSE KNOW IT ALSO

[shay]

IF ANYTHING MELLISA IS MAD BECAUSE HE DONT F___ WITH HER!IF HE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT HE WOULDNT BE STANDING THERE LOOKING AT HER GET HER ASS BEAT...SHE 35 YEARS OLD AND SHE NEED TO ACT HER AGE..HIGH SCHOOL GAMES WAS OVER ALONG TIME AGO!!...AND I HOPE HE CAN PRESS CHARGES ON HER ASS WHEN ALL THIS SHIT IS OVER!! THE WHOLE STORY!!

[tae]

I'm embarrassed as a Black person and as a woman. And shame on anyone who is defending this crap. Just because somebody says something about you that makes you mad doesn't mean you have the right to throw a tantrum and go beat them up. And, at one point, it looked like both women were hitting her (until someone said "one at a time")...when is it ever okay to jump somebody? That's rhetorical...the answer is never. Just like it is never okay to blame the victim. They assaulted her and held her in the shop against her will (that's unlawful imprisonment at least). Then, they are bragging about it on the radio like they are proud of their behavior. "She got what she deserved"? How old are they? Why are they not in jail? What kind of police department does Oakland have that they saw this and didn't arrest anyone? And how dumb was it to put the video on YouTube?! Hope they got their 15 minutes and hope it was worth it. With the attention that the story is getting, they may be in some serious trouble...as they should be.

[Vivian]

We all have the right to free enterprise, freedom of speech and to abide by the same laws that govern our protection. The shop owner exercised her right to speak freely on the topic that she wanted to speak on in her own establishment. It might not be right, but it does not give others the right to become vigilantes and take the law into their own hands. Just stop doing business with her!! This black on black ignorance/crime has to stop. Then, don't get mad and blame the police for not doing their job, when we've been doing it for them for so long, they've gotten lazy or forgotten how too...because we're so good at killing, stealing and destroying ourselves…why should they get in the middle of it. I pray that we wake-up soon because this is a travesty. We've come to far sista's and brotha's to keep going backwards and turning on ourselves. We are not our biggest enemies, don’t buy in to that hype-o-stereo-typical media driven mess. We are our biggest assets. God Bless them for who they are and what they are not. Give them the vision to see themselves as God sees them, worthy of his love.

[ME!.....THAT'S WHO!]

I STILL DON'T INDERSTAND WHY SHE JUST STOOD THERE AND KEPT SAY'N GET OFF OF ME.....IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMNENT, I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN ONE OF THOSE CURLING IRON STOVES, AND BEAT THE MESS OUT OF AT LEAST 1 OF THEM. IF SHE WAS SCARED OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO HER....FORGET ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE IT HAPPENED ANYWAY...IME JUST SAY'N, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE ONLY 1 BLEEDING! I DON'T SUPPORT VIOLENCE, BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE JUST STOOD THERE AND KEPT SHOUTING "GET OFF OF ME, LET ME GO"!.....THE HECK WITH THAT! GOD SAID TURN THE OTHER CHEEK...IT LQQKED LIKE SHE WAS OUT OF CHEEKS!
I ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WENT OUTSIDE AND CONTINUED TO ARGUE WITH THEM..STILL RUNNING HER MOUTH.....THAT'S WHEN I WOULD HAVE BEEN CALLING THE POLICE TO REPORT THEM, GIVE A DESCRIPTION, AND TELL WHAT DIRECTION THEY WERE HEADED, AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE DRIVING OR ON FOOT. WHERE WAS THE CLIENT SHE WAS SERVICING?....OMGOSH! THAT WAS TERRIBLE, AND THOSE HEADHUNTERS DESERVE TO BE LOCKED UP.ALONG WITH THE VIDEO DIRECTOR :-), AND THE ONLOOKERS! THEY MUST HAVE BEEN STAND INS FOR THE KEY ACTRESSES:-).....AND TO THE OAKLAND POLICE...DO UR JOB!!!!!

[ME!.....THAT'S WHO!]

oh, by the way..that's understand....duhhhh!

[TASHA]

I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AT ALL, WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THEM BEATING HER THE WAY THAT THEY DID? WHAT DID SHE DO SO WRONG THAT THEY BOTH HAD TO DO THAT TO HER? OVER SOME HE SAY, SHE SAY CRAP, ARE YOU SERIOUS??? AND I JUST CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE STYLIST DIDN'T FIGHT BACK, I TELL YOU WHAT, IT WOULDN'T BEEN ME, SOMEONE WOULD'VE BEEN STABBED WITH SOME SCISSORS, BURNT WITH SOME CURLING IRONS, SOMETHING.... HOW SHE HAS ANY RESPECT LEFT, I DON'T KNOW. BUT EVEN MORE SO, HOW CAN THE OPD ASK IF ANY ONE HAS INFORMATION REAGRDING THE ASSAULT TO CONTACT THEM WHEN THEY HAVE THE PROOF, RIGHT IN THEIR FACE, ON TAPE, ON YOU TUBE NOT TO MENTION? THEN I HEARD THE STYLIST SAY THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT, AND IF SO, THEN THOSE 2 CHICKEN HEADS REALLY NEED TO BE IN JAIL. BUT AGAIN, SHE COULD'VE BEEN LYING JUST TO KEEP THEM OFF OF HER. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE DIDN'T PRESS CHARGES AGAINST THEM, IS IT THE FACT THAT MAYBE SHE IS SCARED FOR HER LIFE? I JUST KNOW THAT IT COULDN'T BE ME. SORRY MELISSA, I DO IN FACT FEEL SORRY FOR YOU, BUT YOU SHOULD'VE FOUGHT BACK, REGARDLESS IF YOU CAN'T FIGHT AT ALL, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS EVEN THE SITUATION, BUT WHATEVER IT IS, STEP IT UP GIRL!!!

[ME!.....THAT'S WHO!]

I JUST WATCHED THE VIDEO AGAIN, AND THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE OPD, STATED THAT IT WAS AWEFUL, AND THEY WANTED ANY1 WHO COULD RECONGNIZE THE WOMAN TO CALL THE OPD....THAT'S A BUNCH OF BULL... ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS TELL MELISSA SEALS TO CONTACT HER EX, WHO APPARENTLY KNOWS HER ATTACKERS, AND THREATEN TO LOCK HIM UP IF HE DOES NOT REVEAL WHO THEY ARE, BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUS THAT HE KNOWS THEM....I HEARD HIM SAY ON THE VIDEO..."U DIDN'T EVEN FIGHT BACK"!...AND HE WAS COMMUNICATING WITH BOTH MELISSA AND THE MOST AGGRESSIVE ATTACKER (HER FRIEND!!!!)GO FIGURE!...BUT I KNOW 1 THANG, THE OPD ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB, BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY THESE ABUSIVE WOMAN SHOULD BE ANYWHERE BUT JAIL!!, AND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.. I USE TO BE A CORRECTIONS OFFICER, I KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPENED TO THEM IF THEY WERE LOCKED UP.....IT WOULDN'T BE ALL THAT THAT THEY WERE PERPETRATING. THEN THESE BROADS HAD THE AUDACITY TO CALL THE RADIO STATION AND BRAG....THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO GET THERE INFORMATION....THOSE HEADHUNTERS ARE MAKING THE OPD LQQK LIKE SOME REAL FOOLS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY BRAGGED ABOUT NOT BEING IN ANY TROUBLE!!!!....OPD DO UR DAG ON JOB....MELISSA STOP RUNNING UR MOUTH ABOUT UR SO CALL FRIENDS OR ANYBODY ELSE FOR THAT MATTER..(GOD SAID THAT IT IS BEST TO LISTEN MUCH AND SPEAK LITTLE; HE SAID THAT FOR A REASON) AND HANG AROUND PEOPLE WHO HAVE UR ANSWER AND STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE UR PROBLEM!!!

[OUT OF THE A]

I REALLY DONT LIKE THAT BECAUSE, WE NEED TO LEARN THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TALK IN ALL SALONS, HELL EVEN NAIL SHOPS. QUIT RUNNING YALL MOUTHS SO MUCH AND LET IT GO. DONT TAKE EVERYTHING TO THE HEART. LET GO AND LET GOD CHANGE YOUR LIVE.

[BB]

All I have to say is that I should have been there (Ha!) This story would have had a much different endnng ( Smile) . I recognized one of the women looks like Aujaunee

[cc]

This is a very sad and unfortunate incident, but that goes to show us Black women how fast things can go ALL wrong!! Okay you got into a fight! Which happens to many. However, she kept continuously fucking w/ her because 1 she was not fighting back, and 2 she had her sister/friend who ever to have her back! Please believe that if it were just the one that beating would not have been that long or continuous. Honey you are a BEAUTICIAN w/ 400 degree Marcells and razor blades! At that point f&^k that shop it would have been torn up!!! Adrenaline rushing hell if you would have at least tried to fight back you may have got 1 at least! This easily would have been a great plea of SELF DEFENSE!! However, police are dumb I bet if there was a body there they would find all leads! They did not have on masks and since they seem to have on smocks which meant they most likely worked there! They know there names and who they are!! Secondly, the news said she filed a restraining order so she had to give them names and addresses for that so!! Why again have they not been arrested then again we are talking about Oakland's finest! Hell I would asked the find my damn lost dog! They will get theirs because please believe they will be all they got in jail!!

[Skeet]

To the person who wrote this post I have much respect for your views and agree with them 100%. Posted by: tae | June 17, 2009 at 07:07 AM

I hope this incident will begin a change in our neighborhoods. I hope we as black people see this as a wake up call about how we treat each other. If God sees us as worthy shouldn't we see others in the same light?

[T]

Wow!!! You will never see something like this happen at a WHITE hair salon.

[ap]

I've recently found myself in 1 of the most disgusting, disrespectful-disturbing situations ever-co-conducted by my then boyfriend and his "friend". And for the past few weeks, its taken everything in me to not rush up to his shop-and give "her" 10 times what Melissa got. I'm so glad I got to see this video, that serves as a reminder of just how savage a people we have become. It literally sickened me to see that woman beaten like that. Here I am-a perfect stranger to the situation as well as the perople involved, yet, in my heart & soul, I know that there is nothing she could have said or done to deserve such inhumane treatment. We have truly become a nation of savages. Where we love our enemies, and hate self and kind. Black people, let us not continue to support our slave masters design to divide and conquer. Let us remember that even if we don't like each-other, to respect each-other-even those that don't respect themselves. While I'm still hurting, I am going to exercise resilence, faith and patience. I will ask God to heal my pain, bless "them" with understanding of their wrong doing, and bless me with a forgiving spirit...

[KRISTINA]

I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH MELISSA AND SHE ALWAYS TALKED TOO MUCH.... SHE BEEN GETTIN HER A*S WHOOPED. SHE TALK SO MUCH SHE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. SHE WAS LUCKY SHE DIDN'T GET JUMPPED. AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE NO ONE ROBBED HER SHOP. I THINK SHES DOIN IT FOR THE MONEY AND SHE'S EMBARRASED. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING KILLED THE POLICE HAVE MURDERERS TO LOOK FOR. NO ONE HAD WEAPONS AND FOR THE PERSON WHO TAPPED IT: JUST A TYPICAL YOUTUBE VIDEO. YOUR VIDEO WENT PLATINUM!

[EBONY]

THEY SAY THE SUSPECT WENT TO JAIL AND WAS RELEASED WITH NO CHARGES; WHAT HAPPENED. SHE MUST BE A SNITCH."TELL ON THREE, GET SET FREE". MAYBE SHE'S THE ONE WHO TALKS TOO MUCH!!!!!!!

[kim s.]

They(the media) needs to stop all this. drop the charges and let the girls go on badd girls. melissa is dirty, miserable, and she always talked to much. she got what she deserved

[sheena white]

she lied on some friends to get released from jail. she needs to get her ass whooped. she doesn't even fight with her hands closed. she's the succa not melissa

[Sheryl]

To all those women who agreed with fighting Melissa, you have proven that this is a sad day for African American women. So many of us are trying to rise above the negativity that you guys are constantly bringing upon us. So what - she was talking; who cares. Ultimately, YOU prove only one thing, the ghetto and welfare will consistently stay in your immediate future. I hope they don't have children, because this ghetto ignorance will be passed along to them.

[Chantel Henry]

It is really amazes to see how many dumb ignorant people still do exist. For all the "women" (and I use that word lightly) who think that was appropriate behavior from an adult, you really need to find God because at this point he is the only one who can save you from the destruction that you are implicting on yourself and your families. I can only imagine the chaos you have in your life. It would be interesting to know what level of education any of the "peanut gallery" or the suspects in this case. If they think they are "TOUGH" and they want to be "GANGSTAS" send their pathetic azz over to Iraqi. I as a 35 year old educated black woman has no tolerance for such stupidty. I'm a single mother of an intelligent 17 year honor student who will be attending Spellman on a full academic scholarship in 2010 and I'm proud to say that she will be making something positive out of her life not like the scums on her posted ridiculous comments on here.
I must also bring to one's attention that posting and doing such an idiotic thing did nothing but hurt the suspects.
#1 IF they had a job, what's the chances of their employer keeping them (unless of course they were flipping burgers) although I'm not sure if they are even qualified for that.
#2 What kind of man would want to be with them? Perhaps one that you only get to go visit a few times a week and you are searched before you enter the visiting area.
#3 What does this say about the way you were bought up. All involved are savages and need to be treated as such.

And lastly, I hope children services are getting involved (I didn't read that they had children) but their type usually does.

[Ohio]

Please join me in calling the Mayors office and the Oakland police to demand arrest be made in this case.