8 Crimes That Were Solved By The Internet
7. Hate Crime In Philadelphia
This story is equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting. The crime itself is abhorrent, but the collaboration between Twitter users and the Philadelphia Police Department is a striking example of professionals and amateurs working in harmony.
The crime in question occurred on September 11th 2014, as two young men were attacked viciously in a Philadelphia alleyway by a group of assailants. The motive behind this was hate-based, as the attackers "made disparaging remarks about their sexual orientation". Both men were severely injured, with one even having his jaw wired shut.
Police weren't entirely sure how to discover these criminals, so they posted surveillance footage to Twitter and allowed users to take the investigation into their own hands so as to uncover the culprits.
After a while, the Twitter detectives ended up collecting enough evidence through social-media check-ins and facial matches to give back to the police department, who continued the case on their own.
It just goes to show that you can find justice anywhere you look, even on Twitter.