Police: 68-year-old man, 2 others, punched in face in downtown Seattle; man arrested

SEATTLE — Police arrested a man Sunday after three men, including a 68-year-old, were punched in the face in downtown Seattle.

Steve Beren, 68, said he and his wife were standing at a bus stop on Fourth Avenue and Pike Street when another man came up and sucker punched him in the face.

“I heard somebody yell, ‘I’m going to knock your glasses off,’” said Beren. “You know, he hit me like, ‘boom!’ and I was wearing the glasses so ... but a sucker punch, you know, a person much younger than me, sucker punching me. You know, I’m 68 years old I’m not looking for a fight!"

Beren’s glasses were knocked off, he had a small cut on the left side of his nose, and had pain around his left eye and cheek.

Police said that after the assault, the suspect walked away.

As officers were talking to witnesses, there were reports of other assaults on Pike Street.

According to a police report, several people pointed east on Pike Street, and officers later found a man in front of the Cheesecake Factory.

Police said the same person described in the earlier attack had punched that man in the right side of his face.

Investigators said another man was punched in the face by the same suspect outside the American Eagle store.

Police said a woman told officers that a man matching the description of the suspect was near 9th and Pike.

When officers got to the location, they found the suspect and told him to stop but he refused, according to the police report.

The man, Senai Hankerson, was later arrested and booked into the King County Jail. Court records say he was arrested three times last year and had a felony warrant for escape.

“What matters is that someone who’s violent for any reason, one way or another, they should not be on the street. And what I’m worried about is he’ll probably -- there’s a good change he’ll be out again," said Beren.

None of the three men who were punched needed medical attention, police said.

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