Students face charges after faking hate crime in New York

ALBANY, NY (KTRK) -- Three college students are facing charges after allegedly attacking a woman on a bus, then calling police to claim they were victims of a racial dispute.

The incident was captured on surveillance video.

For the first time, we are seeing the video of what happened on the bus and also audio from the 911 calls made by the women claiming to be victims.

"Hi, yes, I'd like to report that me and my friends were just jumped on a bus for being black," Asha Burwell tells a 911 operator.

Burwell was front and center at a rally held in solidarity for the student after she claimed she and her peers were victims of a racially-motivated attack.

Albany police will charge Burwell with falsely reporting an incident and assault.

"But to be a part of it, I think it's unforgiveable," says Albany City Council President Carolyn McLaughlin.

The video shows the three suspects in a confrontation with several people.

You can clearly see one of them throw a punch.

Also on that bus, Ariel Agudio and Alexis Briggs, who both face assault charges.

McLaughlin says she has already seen the footage.

"I don't know what the answer is in terms of them asking for forgiveness and apologizing to the university, but they have to answer for the charges," McLaughlin says.

McLaughlin says she's also concerned for the people who do experience a real hate crime.

"Don't be afraid that because these young ladies made a mistake by embellishing their story that you have to be afraid to report something that may seriously happen to you," she says.