DOUGLAS COUNTY — Lawrence police spent Wednesday searching for a homeless man accused of a violent attack downtown in the 1000 block of Massachusetts Street, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe.
(Click below to watch security camera video of the attack)
Just after 9:30p.m. first responders found a man and a woman with head injuries following an encounter with a suspect. The two victims were walking on the sidewalk when the suspect approached them and, without warning, began striking them with his fists before he left the area.
Just before 8a.m. Thursday officers were called to 12th and Pennsylvania Street about a man armed with a knife who matched the description of the Wednesday night suspect. Officers arrested 34-year-old Deonte Darrell Jackson in a nearby backyard and took him to the Douglas County Correctional Facility, where he was booked on requested charges of aggravated battery, criminal damage, and disorderly conduct.
After concerns about downtown were raised last fall, Chief Rich Lockhart directed officers to conduct foot patrols beginning in November, and in light of the recent event is committed to increasing efforts to keep the downtown Lawrence safe and secure. “Our department is outraged by this event. As an agency and a city, we cannot tolerate this type of behavior," said Lockhart.