A brutal attack in Biddeford shows casual racial violence isn't as aberrant as you think it is

Last month, a Black man in Biddeford was violently assaulted outside of a 7-Eleven convenience store by two white men who hurled racial epithets before physically attacking him. The victim, who has not been identified according to local media reports, suffered a broken jaw and significant physical injuries. He escaped from his attackers by running down an alley. The Attorney General’s office filed a civil complaint against the defendants, as this case is a clear violation of Maine’s Civil Rights Act, and the case is currently making its way through the system. 

What’s remarkable about this case is that there was no media coverage or reports about it until mid-May — a month after the fact. A local resident in one of Maine’s most populous cities was savagely attacked ... and somehow it wasn’t deemed newsworthy? Never mind the fact that this attack occurred nearly on the cops' doorstep. For those unfamiliar with the geography of Biddeford, the local 7-Eleven is literally just down the block from the Biddeford Police Department.