Street performer ‘violently’ thrown to ground as thieves steal his tip jar, NC cops say
Thieves “violently” attacked a street performer while stealing his tip jar in North Carolina, officials said.
The 52-year-old performer, who may have worked as a beat boxer, was taken to a hospital after the robbery on Sunday, Nov. 7, according to the Asheville Police Department.
Officers said they were called at about 4 p.m. to Patton Avenue in downtown Asheville. At the scene, police reported seeing a man in “agony” with a possible dislocated shoulder, Capt. J.E. Silberman told McClatchy News in an email.
Police said the performer had been “approached by three men who took his tip jar. As the street performer went to grab the tip jar back, the men threw the performer to the ground.”
Now, officials are searching for the people who are accused of robbing the man. Anyone with information is asked to call 828-252-1110, send “TIP2APD” via text to 847411 or submit information to the TIP2APD cellphone app.
“This was a brazen daylight robbery, someone must have seen something,” Silberman said.
Asheville is a Western North Carolina town that’s popular with tourists. People flock to the mountains this time of year to see fall foliage.
Lyle Rickards, a board member for Asheville Buskers Collective, which advocates for those who entertain in public to receive donations, said street performers can be targets for attacks, according to WLOS.
“We will lose buskers in this town if we don’t, if there’s something that can’t be done,” Rickards told the TV station.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Street performer ‘violently’ thrown to ground as thieves steal his tip jar, NC cops say."
