Milwaukee Mayor beaten with pipe at State Fair
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Mayor suffers extensive head, hand injuries
By Sharif Durhams of the Journal Sentinel
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/53477862.html
Posted: Aug. 17, 2009 2:46 p.m.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was released from Froedtert Hospital Monday, where he was treated for injuries he suffered Saturday when he was beaten by a baton-wielding man.
Barrett is resting at his home, according to Patrick Curley, the mayor's chief of staff.
Barrett's brother, John, said earlier Monday that the mayor was hit so hard in the face that the blow knocked out a bottom tooth at the base and some top teeth.
Barrett's hand was shattered and repaired in a three-hour surgery. A doctor placed stitches in the mayor's head, and he had plastic surgery to repair another cut that extended from his cheek to his nose.
John Barrett said the assailant threatened to use a gun during the altercation Saturday night and then punched the 55-year-old mayor so hard in the stomach that he buckled.
The man then told Barrett to lie face down on the ground.
"This is when Tom thinks 'Yikes, this guy could kill me,' " John Barrett said.
At that point the mayor came up swinging and the assailant, Anthony J. Peters, opened up an extendable, police-style baton and started beating him, John Barrett said.
Yet, his brother said, the mayor is still cracking jokes.
"He did say he will never play the piano again, but he never played the piano to begin with," said John Barrett, who said he visited his brother twice Monday at the hospital.
Barrett talked to family members after being injured in the altercation near State Fair Park late Saturday, Curley said.
A CT scan showed he did not sustain any serious head trauma, Curley said.
Curley described the mayor as alert and said he was briefed Monday about city budget issues and education reform. The mayor had been planning to leave town for vacation this week, but he needs some time to rest.
"His body took quite a bit of pummeling," Curley said.
Tom Barrett was chatty during his brother's visits, but he's in significant pain, John Barrett said.
It will be some time before Barrett even considers whether he might be interested in running for governor, Curley said. Barrett has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for governor in 2010 after Gov. Jim Doyle's decision not to seek re-election to a third term.
The mayor joked with Doyle that he was sorry for knocking the news of Doyle's plans off the front page of the newspapers, his brother said.
"He can still come up with a one liner," John Barrett said.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said Monday that they are reviewing the case against Peters, 20. Charges could be filed this week, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said in an e-mail.
Peters is being held on warrants issued this summer in connection with bail-jumping and disorderly conduct charges, according to police and court records.
A 48-year-old man also was arrested Sunday on suspicion of aiding a felon, according to Milwaukee police arrest records. The man, who was released Sunday night, was arrested about one block from the address where Peters had been arrested about 25 minutes earlier, the records show. The man could not be reached for comment Monday.
Peters worked out once or twice every few months at the Ace Boxing Club on Milwaukee's south side, said Frank Porter, the club's operations manager.
"When I did (talk) with him, he did tell me he was struggling with street life and that the boxing club was helping him stay away from the dangers of street life," Porter said. "He sent me an e-mail and asked me if he could come back to the gym, and I said no one ever told you (that) you couldn't."
Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
By Sharif Durhams of the Journal Sentinel
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/53477862.html
Posted: Aug. 17, 2009 2:46 p.m.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was released from Froedtert Hospital Monday, where he was treated for injuries he suffered Saturday when he was beaten by a baton-wielding man.
Barrett is resting at his home, according to Patrick Curley, the mayor's chief of staff.
Barrett's brother, John, said earlier Monday that the mayor was hit so hard in the face that the blow knocked out a bottom tooth at the base and some top teeth.
Barrett's hand was shattered and repaired in a three-hour surgery. A doctor placed stitches in the mayor's head, and he had plastic surgery to repair another cut that extended from his cheek to his nose.
John Barrett said the assailant threatened to use a gun during the altercation Saturday night and then punched the 55-year-old mayor so hard in the stomach that he buckled.
The man then told Barrett to lie face down on the ground.
"This is when Tom thinks 'Yikes, this guy could kill me,' " John Barrett said.
At that point the mayor came up swinging and the assailant, Anthony J. Peters, opened up an extendable, police-style baton and started beating him, John Barrett said.
Yet, his brother said, the mayor is still cracking jokes.
"He did say he will never play the piano again, but he never played the piano to begin with," said John Barrett, who said he visited his brother twice Monday at the hospital.
Barrett talked to family members after being injured in the altercation near State Fair Park late Saturday, Curley said.
A CT scan showed he did not sustain any serious head trauma, Curley said.
Curley described the mayor as alert and said he was briefed Monday about city budget issues and education reform. The mayor had been planning to leave town for vacation this week, but he needs some time to rest.
"His body took quite a bit of pummeling," Curley said.
Tom Barrett was chatty during his brother's visits, but he's in significant pain, John Barrett said.
It will be some time before Barrett even considers whether he might be interested in running for governor, Curley said. Barrett has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for governor in 2010 after Gov. Jim Doyle's decision not to seek re-election to a third term.
The mayor joked with Doyle that he was sorry for knocking the news of Doyle's plans off the front page of the newspapers, his brother said.
"He can still come up with a one liner," John Barrett said.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said Monday that they are reviewing the case against Peters, 20. Charges could be filed this week, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said in an e-mail.
Peters is being held on warrants issued this summer in connection with bail-jumping and disorderly conduct charges, according to police and court records.
A 48-year-old man also was arrested Sunday on suspicion of aiding a felon, according to Milwaukee police arrest records. The man, who was released Sunday night, was arrested about one block from the address where Peters had been arrested about 25 minutes earlier, the records show. The man could not be reached for comment Monday.
Peters worked out once or twice every few months at the Ace Boxing Club on Milwaukee's south side, said Frank Porter, the club's operations manager.
"When I did (talk) with him, he did tell me he was struggling with street life and that the boxing club was helping him stay away from the dangers of street life," Porter said. "He sent me an e-mail and asked me if he could come back to the gym, and I said no one ever told you (that) you couldn't."
Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
