A 33-year-old father who took his kids to the Denver Skatepark this week was beaten by more than two dozen teens and young men.
The father, who is recovering, received a head injury, fractured back vertebrae and a broken elbow, he said.
The Post is identifying the man only by his first name — Dave — because he’s a victim and Denver police confirmed that his assailants have not been arrested.
The attack happened about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the park, 2205 19th St., on the edge of downtown Denver near Coors Field.
Dave, a machinist who lives in Arvada, said he took his children — two boys, both 13, and a daughter, 11 — to the park for a night of fun.
They got there about 7:45 and skated for a while.
After about 30 minutes Dave watched as a group chased an individual across the park. As a pursuer ran by, Dave asked: “What’s going on?”
The man turned to Dave, cursed at him, and told him to leave.
The words had just passed from the man’s mouth when Dave was slammed with a skateboard from behind, he said.
“I guess just me asking was enough for them to clock me,” Dave said.
Immediately, others joined in and started beating Dave with skateboards. A friend of Dave’s who was there tried to help him, and he also was attacked.
The friend’s injuries were not as serious.
The Denver Police Department is investigating the attacks.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the incident started when park users exchanged taunts and insults, and it escalated.
“There was an argument between two individuals, guys leaving the park, and words were exchanged,” Jackson said. “Guys got out of a car and attacked the one individual.”
“There was a couple of older skateboarders, a crowd attacked them as well,” Jackson said. Dave said he is one of those older boarders.
“One guy suffered some serious injuries,” Jackson said.
By the time police arrived, the attackers had scattered, Dave said.
After the attack, Dave drove his children home. “I just wanted to make sure they were safe,” he said, and he then drove himself to Lutheran Medical Center. He was at the hospital for eight hours.
Jackson said the incident “appears to be isolated.”
Dave, who has been going to the skatepark for years, since it opened, said it’s become a dark place.
Wednesday night was “the worst,” he said.
“I’ll never go back.”
