New Year’s Knockout Victim Concerned for Public Safety

The Denver Channel
January 10, 2014

MattDraper
Matt Draper says there was no warning, and no words exchanged, before four men brutally attacked him at random.

Another man brutally attacked at random on New Year’s Eve in lower downtown Denver comes forward with concerns about public safety. He is worried more innocent people could be attacked if there is no warning that these assaults are occurring.

Denver police say there are no arrests so far and it appears the attacks have no motivation other than hurting someone.

“You know I’m still very sore,” said Matt Draper, who still has a massive scab on the back of his head.  “I’m very light sensitive right now.”

Draper says there was no warning, and no words exchanged, before four men brutally attacked him at random. He hit the sidewalk at the intersection of 17th and Blake streets and was unconscious for about 20 minutes.

“I had a bag of chips in my hand, they grabbed the chips and then it’s basically lights out from there,” he said. “I woke up in an ambulance on a stretcher.”

Police say the attack on Draper was one of three that occurred between 1:30 a.m. and 2:15 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. The other two assaults happened near the intersections of 20th and Larimer streets; and 20th and Market streets.

Additionally, Denver Police reported two downtown-area attacks on Jan. 7. The first was at 8:35 a.m., when a man was robbed of his wallet in the 1400 block of California St. by a black male. The other was at 9:52 p.m. in the alleyway of Stout and California streets, where a victim was knocked down and robbed by two black males.


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