Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett Beaten with Pipe
Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was beaten with a pipe on Saturday night while he rescued a grandmother and her granddaughter from a young man. The young child is only 1 year old and police say the man was a vicious and violent thug.
Barrett was taken to the hospital for hand and head wounds and is currently recovering. Local media speculates that he received the beating after punching the assailant. The local authorities have arrested Anthony Peters, 20, for the attack, even though hasn’t been charged for a crime. The grandmother and granddaughter, who is the assailant’s child, were not hurt in the attack.
The attack occurred when Barrett was leaving the state fair with his sister, two daughters, and niece. He could hear a woman crying out for help, then instructed his sister to take the kids away from harm, and confronted Peters, who was intoxicated, to calm him down. However, Peters threatened to shoot himself and others, according to police. Barrett then took out his cell phone to call the police, but Peters attacked him with a pipe. The niece then got the phone and called authorities, and as soon as they arrived Peters fled the scene. Thirteen hours later he was arrested, already having a long criminal record.
John Barrett, Tom’s brother, said that he did the right thing, as his efforts protected the grandmother and granddaughter, as well as members of his own family. The family is very proud of his courage and selflessness, he added. Although Barrett suffered gashes on his face and head, lost two teeth, has a shattered tooth and a shattered hand, John says he’s recovering well and is expected to return home Tuesday.