Charges dropped for 2 in alleged attack

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The charges against two of the four teens charged in an alleged beating of two Virginian-Pilot reporters have been dropped, according to an attorney for one of the teens.

Four teens, ranging from 14 to 16 years old, were charged in connection with the April 14 incident. They were all facing two counts of simple assault by mob and one count of participation in a riot. One of the teens faced one count of vandalism as well.

After a court hearing Wednesday, attorney Bruce Sams told WAVY.com the charges against two of the teens were dismissed without prejudice due to lack of evidence. The remaining two teens are still facing charges.

"All they had was evidence showing an assault with several people just running," Sams said. "That was just it there was nothing to identify that my client took part in it at any time."

The father of one of the juveniles said his son was not involved in the attack.

"He shouldn't have even been here to start with," the father said. "[He] went to a party at the Norva. He left the party, preceded to walk home, and a group of kids ran and attacked two people. That's all he knows that happened and that's all I know that happened. I hope they find out who did it and prosecute them."

Karen Parker-Chesson with the Norfolk Police Department told WAVY.com Wednesday no more arrests have been made or expected. Parker-Chesson said a complaint the reporters made against the police department is still being investigated.

Special Coverage: Alleged beating

David Forster, 31, and his colleague, Marjon Rostami, 26, were driving home from the Attucks Theatre on April 14, when they came to a stoplight at the intersection of Church Street and Brambleton Avenue in Downtown Norfolk around 11 p.m, according to a police report obtained by WAVY.com , .

View the police report of the April 14 incident.

"There was this huge crowd of young people," Forster told WAVY.com. "Best guess is 100 (people), could have been more, maybe a little less, but it was a long line of people like some big event had just gotten out."

The incident got national media attention when Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly featured the incident on The O'Reilly Factor .

During the show, his producer Jesse Watters said many people in Norfolk felt it was a racially motivated attack: "I think there is a lot of racial animosity in Norfolk." Many officials in Norfolk and the Commonwealth of Virginia spoke out against that claim.

The investigation continues.