Just Thought You'd Like To Know What's Happening Concerning Wednesday's Incident

Todd and Don,
Since I am away...please take a look at Tim's e-mail below concerning an attempt assult.....thanks.

Lt. M. Sullivan


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Tim Springer
Sent: Fri 4/3/2009 12:22 PM
To: Nate Kerr; Michael.Sullivan@ci.minneapolis.mn.us; David Hayhoe
Cc:
Subject: Greenway attempted assault


Hi Lts. Sullivan and Hayhoe,


See below an event that happened yesterday near the border of P3/P5. This is unfortunate news. Please share this account with your patrols. Thank you.


Tim Springer
Executive Director
Midtown Greenway Coalition
2834 10th Avenue South
Greenway Level Suite 2
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612-879-0105
tim@midtowngreenway.org






Begin forwarded message:


From: "T R" <>
Date: April 2, 2009 9:32:03 AM CDT
To:


Tim,

I've been asked by cycling friends to pass this along to you.

I was riding east on the greenway at 4:30pm today (4-1-09), and came to the crossing at 5th Ave by Ace Refrigeration.
Two kids were sitting on the stone wall on the east side of 5th. A third was a little closer to the Portland bridge. As I crossed 5th, the third kid started running toward the bridge, away from me. When he got to the bridge supports he stopped and bent down to pick up something, and in one motion looked back at me and started to run back out on to the greenway. I think he misjudged my speed, and found himself about even with me when he had started back out on to the greenway. He had a stick in one hand, about the size of a 1x1 maybe a foot long. He also had a piece of cement, in his other hand, about the size of a softball. He made an effort to run into me, and I had to swerve to my left to avoid hitting him. He was not able to catch me, or touch me, but it was mostly because he had misjudged my speed. He was close enough to me that I could hear him kind of grunt as he tried to catch me. I thought he might try to throw the cement or stick at me, but that didn't happen. I was reacting to what I saw and trying to avoid hitting him. It didn't cross my mind, until after the incident, that there had been an attempt to attack me.
These kids that I saw were probably 15-16 years old. They had black hair. The one that tried to attack me had a flat top. All three had an olive colored complexion. The two that were sitting on the wall were just talking, and looked very unassuming.
I'm very sure I didn't read more into this incident, than actually occurred.

It is so sad that circumstance exist, where people feel, for whatever reason, that they need, or want to hurt others. I really don't understand, why I was chosen as victim of the day, and what could motivate these three boys to want to physically hurt someone else.

Please be careful. Unfortunately there are those that want to hurt and steal from others, for whatever reason.

Please, please be very careful out there.