Suspect Charged in Barrett Assault
Anthony J. Peters, the 20-year-old suspect in the assault on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, told police that he “freaked out” on Barrett and hit him several times with a tire iron, according to a criminal complaint.
Barrett was hospitalized for about two days following the assault in West Allis Saturday night which left him with broken bones in his hand, broken teeth and other serious injuries. Barrett and members of his family were returning to his car following an evening at the Wisconsin State Fair.
According to the complaint, police recovered a tire iron, approximately 18 inches long, in a nearby dumpster and that it was covered by “what appeared to be remnants of blood and gray hair.”
Barrett told police that he began calling police when he heard a woman yelling for help. At that point, Peters ran towards Barrett, knocked the phone out of his hands and started to beat him, according to the complaint.
Barrett told police that Peters was threatening to shoot him and he felt his life was in danger. Barett said that he threw a punch to defend himself but that he could not remember what happened after that or how he was injured.
Barrett’s niece Moira Flood reported seeing Peters hit Barrett about six times in his face and head with what she called a club. Flood was able to call 911 and when sirens indicated that police cars were approaching, Peters fled the area. He was arrested on Sunday in Milwaukee.
what I’d like to know is may be he is not the mayor of the largest city in the US but shouldn’t he have at least one security entourage. I doubt any other Mayor of any major metropolitan would wander around without at least some kind of security measure in place for his /her safety.
Mayor Barrett explained during his news conference yesterday that his decision to go to the Wisconsin State Fair on Saturday night was last minute and spur-of-the-moment which is why he was not accompanied by security. As Barrett put it, he was “looking for a way to get out of making dinner” so when one of his sisters said she was going, Barrett decided to go as well as a sort of a Barrett family night out.
And all went fine until the eventful walk to the car.
See my earlier post from yestrday: http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2009/08/mayor-barrett-says-anyone-would-have-done-what-he-did/