Panhandler Attacks Couple, Takes Knife

A panhandler in downtown Spokane became violent Sunday when a couple refused to give him money, police said.

A man approached the couple and asked for cash about 10 p.m. as they walked toward the Fox Theatre, 1005 W. Sprague, police said.

They refused and the panhandler began harassing the woman, police said.

When the man with her tried to intervene, the panhandler punched him in the face. He knocked the man to the pavement and took a knife from the man’s pocket before escaping westbound on a bicycle, police said.

The woman was not injured. The man was not hospitalized after the assault.

The suspect is described as white, 18 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build and close-cropped brown hair.

Anyone with information about this incident should call Crime Check at 456-2233.