Assault and Attempted Mugging (Downtown)

Editors Note: This letter was sent by Joe Tamburino to Mayor Frey & Council Member Fletcher last Wednesday. Joe Tamburino is a Downtown resident and serves on the board of the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association.

Mayor Frey and CM Fletcher: 

Today at approximately 10:45 a.m. on 9th Street between Nicollet and Marquette, I was walking on the sidewalk talking on my phone via air pods and I was hit from behind in the back of the head, left shoulder and something cut my arm near my left wrist - it was some young punk.

I confronted him, called 911, and went after him so that he wouldn't get away and I caught the attention of an MPD squad going SB on Marquette.  The officer arrested the perpetrator right on the street with the help of two other officers who responded very quickly to the scene.  Also, two people on the street witnessed the assault and gave statements to the police corroborating what happened. 

This is unacceptable and outrageous - you can't even walk on the sidewalk in downtown without running into criminal problems.  Thankfully, the police were right there.  I wish to thank the police officers for their excellent response time to my situation - job well done.  The perpetrator is now in jail.  That he will be released and back on the downtown streets within hours is another issue, but also another problem.  But this nonsense of defunding or dismantling the MPD must stop.  We need police on the street! A social worker or "violence interrupter" would not have helped me today.

Mr. Mayor - you need to come out more forcefully in support of more police, more patrols, and veto any future ballot questions concerning defunding or dismantling MPD that may occur in the future.

CM Fletcher - I truly don't know what to say to you because you're wrong on every single public safety issue and I believe you have contributed to this atmosphere of chaos and crime in our city with your rhetoric and inaction. 

Thank you,

Joe Tamburino

***FOLLOW-UP***

Update: the guy who assaulted me on Wednesday, 9/15, was Ararso Mumad (29 y.o. convicted felon who got out of prison in 2019). He was released from jail on Friday, 9/17, with charges pending regarding my assault.  But, as predicted, he was picked up again yesterday, Saturday, 9/18, around 900 Washington Ave. South at approximately 10:00 p.m., for using a baseball bat in trying to rob people on the street; he's robbing people right near you folks at the Bridgewater and Zenith condos.

CM Fletcher - a social worker or violence interrupter responding to Ararso and his baseball bat would have been completely useless and they would have wound up getting hit with the bat.  Once again the police properly responded and removed a violent person from the street.