An attacker on the 16th Street Mall who was armed with a box cutter left a man hospitalized Thursday night as Denver continues to wrestle with security issues on its well-known pedestrian area.
Keith Allen Ward, 53, was detained on suspicion of aggravated assault after a sudden, unprovoked attack where he allegedly slashed another man’s neck and chin, according to a Denver Police Department probable cause statement.
The attack occurred at 9:01 p.m. Thursday on the 900 block of the 16th Street Mall, which is between Curtis and Champa streets. It happened as over police brutality was making its way up the mall, which also was crowded because of a baseball game and large conventions being held downtown.
The victim fought back, and Ward ran, the police report said. An officer working a special 16th Street Mall security assignment chased Ward and found him in an ambulance. Ward allegedly had a box cutter in his pocket when the officer found him.
The victim was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, said Doug Schepman, a Denver police spokesman. Ward also was treated for injuries at a hospital.
Ward has a criminal history that includes a 2014 conviction for assault/felony menacing with a simulated weapon, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records.
The stabbing is the third high-profile act of random violence in two weeks. And it comes as Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration has boosted police presence on the mall because of safety concerns.
The uproar began after Fox 31 aired video of people harassing an office worker on the mall. Last week, an office worker captured at random passers-by.
Hancock has blamed the problems on “urban travelers,” a term used loosely to describe young people who roam the country with no desire to own homes, hold jobs or open bank accounts. Hancock has said they are a and are attracted to Denver because of legalized marijuana.
The Downtown Denver Partnership, which represents businesses, also has created a security plan that includes the hiring of private officers to patrol the streets.
