Winnipeg police detectives are searching for a suspect who assaulted a 34-year-old man downtown, causing a serious head injury, in a senseless attack in April.

The victim was found unconscious after he hit his head on the pavement while being assaulted by a stranger on the first 100 block of Navy Way, between Smith Street and Assiniboine Avenue, at about 5 p.m. on April 19.

Major crimes unit detectives believe the suspect was loudly yelling and causing a disturbance in the street while with a group of people outside the victim’s apartment building. That sparked an argument with the victim from his window.

The victim was goaded outside, police said. The suspect grabbed the victim after he stepped out of the building. After a brief tussle, the suspect threw him to the ground, where the victim struck his head on the sidewalk.

“It’s totally senseless … he did not deserve what happened to him,” Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said.

Paramedics rushed him to hospital, but Chancy said the victim’s recovery will be lengthy.

“In this case, the injuries were serious enough that this person will have to seek further medical attention as he goes on,” Chancy said. “There’s a possibility of a life-altering event.”

The suspect was wearing a Winnipeg Jets jersey. The incident happened shortly before the puck dropped for Game 1 of the Jets’ first-round playoff series with the St. Louis Blues.

About 5,000 fans attended a Jets whiteout street party outside Canada Life Centre that started before the game.

Chancy said it is likely the man was headed to or from the street party, given his attire and the location, but investigators can’t say definitively whether that was the case.

Investigators spoke to witnesses, who described the attacker as tall, white, 25 to 30 years old, with shaggy brown hair and a short brown beard.

His dark blue Jets jersey bore the current logo and retired defenceman Dustin Byfuglien’s last name and number, 33. The man was wearing light blue jeans and white Nike runners with a black Swoosh.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Jen Zoratti | Next

Wednesdays

Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture.

Sign up for Jen Zoratti | Next

He was last seen running north towards Smith Street.

Investigators have been trying to identify the suspect since the assault, Chancy said, but recently decided they needed help from the public.

Police released two images of the man Friday. He is facing a potential charge of assault causing bodily harm.

Major crimes detectives have asked anyone with information about the attacker to contact them at 204-986-6219, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.