Police: Woman Beats Disabled Man on Video in Columbia

Howard County Police arrested a Randallstown woman who they say was caught on camera beating and spitting in the face of an intellectually disabled man at a Columbia group home.

The video is posted on YouTube.

Donna Everett, 57, was arrested by police after the group home's owner, Emerge Inc., identified her in the video. The home is located in the 6500 block of Quiliting Way in Columbia.

In the video, the woman identified as Everett can be seen swinging both of her fists down on the sitting man's head, after bending over and spitting in his face. She also encourages and taunts a 41-year-old disabled woman and resident of the group home to assault the man, according to police.

Police charged her with mutiple counts of assault and reckless endangerment for her alleged abuse of the 53-year-old man and the woman.

The video, which was on YouTube as of 1:30 p.m. on Monday, shows a confrontation start between the disabled man and disabled woman, with the woman striking the man several times.

In the background, the person recording the video can be heard laughing.

At one point, someone in the background asks, "You're recording this for entertainment right?" The response was unclear and the person asks again, "So what, when you're pissed you can just watch it for entertainment right?"

The video recorder laughs loudly.

Then, Everett enters the frame around the 5-minute mark, and it appears as if the man spits at her, to which she responds by spitting in his face. The man then strikes at Everett, catching her in the face, and she responds by hitting him multiple times with her fists.

Then, she backs away and watches as the disabled woman strikes the man over and over again.

Police said they are trying to determine the identities of the people involved in making the video.

Everett posted a $100,000 bond and was released from the Howard County Detention Center, according to police.

The video's poster, TheDivineMsP, wrote in the video's description, "Staff is supposed to take care of Intellectually Disabled people instead they are verbally and physically abusing them. In this video a house manager is abusing a male client and making another female client abuse that same male client."

"This is the most repulsive thing I've experienced in my life," said David Wamsley, executive director of Emerge. "We train our employees to be hands off, restraint free so there's never a possibility where someone should be touched. This is a complete violation of our principles.

"We are doing everything we can to help the victim," said Wamsley, "and we are cooperating fully with the police."

Wamsley said the man in the video did not suffer any significant injuries as a result of the abuse. He said he has no evidence that a culture of this type of behavior exists at Emerge and believes this is an isolated incident.

"We are sorry, shocked and appaled," said Wamsley.

He said the company would be reviewing all of its policies and will work with police to determine if any other employees were involved in the incident.

Emerge provides supported living, residential, day, pre-employment, and employment services to over 450 individuals in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties, according to the company's website.