Homeless man with ‘very sweet soul’ dies weeks after teens pummel him in despicable gas station attack
A group of heartless teens at an Oklahoma City gas station were caught on camera viciously battering a homeless man, who later died in the hospital, sparking outrage from his family and the community.
Brandon Liggons’ family said he died as a direct result of the delinquents’ despicable attack — although the cause of his death was due to pneumonia — and are demanding they be held accountable.
Liggons, 42, was sitting outside a metro gas station when he was swarmed and pummeled by three teens, according to security video obtained by KFOR and circulating online.
They shoved him to the ground and began kicking and punching him.
He was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries including a brain bleed, his cousin Grail Pendarvis, 54, told the outlet.
Liggons was admitted to the ICU, where he died three weeks later from a lung infection.
Police haven’t linked the teens to the death – but his family argues they’re the reason he was in the hospital to begin with.
“After being in the hospital on a ventilator for three weeks, yeah, you get pneumonia. That’s how it works,” said Pendarvis.
Authorities haven’t identified who was involved in the clobbering. They said it’s possible they could face charges, according to KFOR, but told The Post that it’s “unlikely.”
Oklahoma City police said Liggons’ death will likely not be ruled a homicide.
“There is no report to provide due to nobody calling the police in reference to the assault at the scene or the hospital,” police wrote.
When asked if they were probing the assault, police said: “At this point, not likely if nobody reported the crime. We have only been informed about this through media inquiries.”
Penarvis, who’d visit his cousin often, said he was deeply loved by friends and family, but ultimately chose to live on the streets.
“Nobody should have to be forgotten about or thrown away, and Brandon wasn’t a throwaway person. People care about him; people are actively looking for him. For his assailants,” Penarvis said.
Gregory Davis, another one of Liggons’ cousins, claimed he was a “special needs man” in a Facebook post about his death.
“He was homeless by choice, had his struggles, and found comfort in the life he knew on the streets. But beyond all of that, Brandon was a person who was loved, known, and cared about by many people,” David wrote.
“It’s painful to know that his life ended this way. No matter the circumstances, Brandon deserved compassion, dignity, and to be treated with kindness.”
Meanwhile, photos and videos of the alleged attackers have continued to circulate on social media, with outraged community members demanding they be held accountable.
“Brandon was truly a very sweet soul. He would help you even when he needed help himself. I can speak on that personally,” one local woman, Atwana Twana, wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post.
“And then I see this BS … some kids jumped on him for no reason. I KNOW Brandon, and trust me, he is not the type of person to just try to harm somebody. This is wrong on so many different levels.”
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