A 27-year-old man was arrested and charged with assault for allegedly knocking to the ground a 60-year-old man visiting Portland from Ohio with his wife.

The incident happened at about 8 p.m. Sunday outside 152 Middle St.

The Ohio man said there was no interaction or provocation before the other man suddenly hit him in the cheek, said Lt. James Sweatt.

The victim did not know if he was punched with a fist or hit with an elbow. He fell to the ground but was able to get up, Sweatt said.

The man reported the incident to police but did not pursue the matter and did not fill out a statement. Then at 10:15 a.m. Monday he spotted the suspect near Urban Outfitters on Middle Street. He told police, who arrested Charles J. Conant of Portland a short time later, Sweatt said.

The incident appears isolated, Sweatt said. There is no trend or any indication the incident was done as part of a phenomenon described on social media as the “knockout game,” in which attackers punch unsuspecting victims for no reason.

Last November, the 59-year-old production manager for Elvis Costello reported being attacked in Portland. In town for a show, the man rejected a panhandler’s request for money. The panhandler responded by kicking the manager several times and badly injuring his leg, police said at the time.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @Mainehenchman

Copy the Story Link