25 May 2023
LAWRENCE (KSNT) – Lawrence Police released a video showing a violent attack in the downtown area recorded Wednesday night.
The Lawrence Police Department (LPD) said in an email that authorities are searching for a 34-year-old homeless man believed to be connected to a violent attack that occurred around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, May 24 in the 1000 block of Massachusetts Street.
Police found a man and woman with head injuries following the incident. The victims were walking on a sidewalk when the suspect approached and began hitting them with his fists before fleeing the area.
Police said in their email around 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 25 officers were sent to 12th and Pennsylvania Street on a report of a man armed with a knife matching the description of the suspect. The man was found and arrested in a nearby backyard before being taken to the Douglas County Correctional Facility. He was booked on two counts of aggravated battery, criminal damage and disorderly conduct.
“Our department is outraged by this event,” LPD Police Chief Rich Lockhart said. “As an agency and a city, we cannot tolerate this type of behavior.”