From Staff Reports

Three people attacked a street performer, throwing him to the ground and injuring him — and stole his tip jar -— about 4 p.m. Nov. 7 in downtown Asheville, all in broad daylight, according to the Asheville Police Department.

The attack and robbery occurred at 53 Patton Avenue, near the Asheville Museum of Science, the APD noted.

The victim was 52-year-old Curtis Gilchrist. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries. No update on his condition was available by the Daily Planet’s press deadline early Nov. 11.

The most concerning part of the attack and robbery was that it happened in broad daylight, the APD emphasized in a press release.

Meanwhile, “Local buskers said Asheville’s normally lively street music has been repeatedly silenced due to acts of violence against performers,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on Nov. 8.

To that end, Lyle Rickards, a busker and member of the Board of Asheville Buskers Collective, was quoted by News 13 as saying, “I have been robbed several times, assaulted; other buskers have been as well this year, more than any year.”

News 13 added, “There has been a string of attacks on people in the streets of Asheville.

“Last month, Asheville police said two juvenile suspects shot a homeless woman in the face with an airsoft gun. In May, police said a man tried to run over a homeless man and his cat.”

What’s more, Richards told News 13 that buskers are like sitting ducks for attackers.

APD Lt. Russell Crisp was quoted by News 13 as saying, “Any time that any crimes occur in Asheville, there is always concern. We have assigned detectives to investigate this crime and also persons experiencing homelessness are a very vulnerable group of people.”

Further, the TV station reported, “Lt. Crisp said they try to do as much as they can when crimes are reported to them. He said they do a lot of patrolling downtown.”

Crisp also was quoted by News 13 as saying, “We have as much staff committed to the area downtown that we’re able to commit at this time.”

Meanwhile, Amy Cantrell, a community leader with BeLoved Asheville, sent News 13 the following statement regarding the Nov. 8 incident:

“We at BeLoved Asheville continue to decry acts of violence against people who are most vulnerable in our community. We ask that people join with us in helping to protect community members without homes."