Homeless men attacked outside Wooster church

WOOSTER— Two homeless men — one a veteran, the other with developmental and mental health issues — were beaten by a group of juveniles as they slept in the stairwell early Wednesday morning outside Trinity United Church of Christ in downtown Wooster.

Both men were taken to Wooster Community Hospital for treatment, according to Trinity pastor Kevan Franklin, who knows both victims and has viewed a recording of the attack captured by church security cameras.

“What I do know is I’ve seen the video and it’s pretty bad,” Franklin said.

A copy of that video was turned over to the Wooster Police Department.

Franklin said the assault was the most recent and serious in a series of incidents that have occurred the past few weeks in the late night/early morning hours at the church. In the past few weeks, the plexiglass in the church sign has been broken and rocks thrown through the glass of the door at the top of the stairwell. In the latter incident, Franklin said, the shattered glass fell on people sleeping in the stairwell.

After viewing the most recent video, Franklin said three men — who appear to be juveniles — are seen approaching the stairwell, yelling at the two men and using racial slurs. One victim is a black man, the other white.

They then used baseball bats to assault both men.

The first victim, a 33-yearold from Wooster, fled and ran to the Wayne County Justice Center. Wooster police were alerted at that point, he said. An officer was dispatched to the Justice Center at 2:50 a.m. While the officer was en route to that call, another officer was flagged down for the same incident.

The first victim was observed to have blood on his forehead and a small abrasion on his knee. He was treated at the scene by Wooster EMS.

He told the officer that he was assaulted by some “teenagers with bats and rocks” in the area of Trinity Church but that he came to the Justice Center to report the incident. He also told the officer that there was another male with him that was assaulted.

The second man, a 39-yearold veteran from Wooster, “stood his ground” but did not fight back, according to Franklin, who said another camera caught the group fleeing down an alley. The second victim also told police he and the other victim were awakened by the juveniles, who were throwing rocks at them.

The officer who responded observed cuts and scrapes to the hands of the second victim, and hecomplained about injuries to the back of his head. He was transported to the emergency room of Wooster Community Hospital. His status is unknown, according to Wooster Police.

Veterans’ groups are assisting that man, while Franklin is attempting to find a safe place for the other.

Wooster Police bike patrol officers were in the neighborhood overnight Thursday, Franklin said Friday, and the juveniles did not appear to be in the vicinity.

“Part of (the issue) is that the two guys who were victims are not very articulate,” said Franklin, adding, “I hope people realize how vulnerable people are on the street, through no fault of their own.”