One of the things we do on the Handling-Panhandling forum is upload photos of Downtown’s most aggressive bums, so that everyone knows to watch out for them. Many business download these photos and print them out. Well, Sunday night the forum’s photos paid off.
“Flower Man” is a panhandler who has been seen frequently Downtown. He typically picks flowers from public planters and tries to sell them to tourists on Beale Street, Second Street, and streets around that area. Members of the Handling-Panhandling group have reported being threatened by him, and they have reported seeing him carrying items that could be used as weapons.
Sunday night at Main and Monroe, a tourist couple was attacked and beaten over the head with a crowbar. The courtesy guard at a nearby building saw the attack and ran over. The attacker ran off as soon as he saw the guard, but the guard got a good look at him.
After calling for help for the tourists, he ran back inside to his desk, where his building’s manager had printed out photos of all the bums listed on the Handling-Panhandling site. He looked through them and identified “Flower Man” as the attacker. He handed the photos to the police, and they found Flower Man during the day Monday and hauled him in. If found guilty, that’s probably the last we’ll see of him on the streets for years. GOOD RIDDANCE.
Thanks to everyone who has joined the Handling-Panhandling forum and shared information and photos. We got one! Let’s all keep up the good work.
Legal stuff: Flower Man is presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.