Hartford police are searching for the three young men they say attacked and robbed a blind man and knocked his guide dog unconscious last weekend.
Francis Shannon, of Sigourney Street in Hartford, was walking his guide dog, Lady, near his home around midnight Aug. 2 when three men attacked and robbed him, according to police.
Shannon suffered minor injuries, and the attackers threatened to hurt him further if he reported the incident to police. He was afraid for his safety and didn’t contact authorities right away.
"They said, 'If you call the cops, we'll kill you,'" Shannon explained. "And they took my money – which I had my rent money, cards my ID – everything was in my wallet."
The attackers also knocked Lady unconscious.
"They hit the dog, knocked her out. I thought she was dead," Shannon said. "She's my everything. I can't go anywhere without her," he added.
The robbers took his cash and ran off. Shannon identified their voices as those of three young men and said he has heard them near Sigourney Street Park and the Williams Grocery Store at 247 Sigourney Street. He told police he suspects they may have been watching and following him.
Shannon was frightened and said he didn't leave the house for days after the attack. He finally decided to call police, who have been helping him get back on his feet and are working to find the people responsible.
"We are pretty effective at making arrests, but in this case, we don't have too much to go on, so we're really asking for any help possible," said Hartford police Det. Patrick O'Gorman.
Officers in the area are being extra vigilant in light of the attack. Anyone with information about the robbery and assault is urged to call Hartford police Sgt. O'Brien at 860-757-4089.
