A state representative says his son was attacked earlier this month in Columbia, and police still don’t know by who or why.
Joel Grisamore (right) was attacked December 8 in Columbia, according to his father, Representative Jeff Grisamore (left).
Lee’s Summit representative Jeff Grisamore first mentioned the attack today on Twitter.
“Requesting prayer for my son, Joel. He just went into facial reconstruction surgery in Columbia after attack by 2 unknown assailants,” Grisamore wrote. He later added that his son was in recovery after a nearly 2-hour surgery and was in intense pain.
Grisamore says in addition to being a sergeant in the Missouri National Guard, an ROTC cadet, and on the crew that shoots off the Mizzouka Canon at Tiger football games, he works two jobs. It was after the Christmas party for one of those jobs on December 8 that the attack happened.
“He had gone upstairs on the patio at Campus Bar and Grill and these two guys walked along with him in the stairwell going up, and were being friendly and small talk and chit-chat, and as soon as they got upstairs to the patio they were up there with him alone and just began to attack him,” Grisamore told Missourinet.
He said the men, “beat him until he was unconscious and continued to beat him, but thankfully one of his co-workers happened to go upstairs during the attack and was able to break it up and the assailants fled.”
Grisamore said the motive for the attack is not known.
“He didn’t know these guys. It was unprovoked … we don’t think it was random,” he said.
He says the police indicated to him they have not seen a pattern of similar attacks. “They also didn’t feel it was, you know, like a knockout game or a dare or just somebody going off on somebody because they were drunk.”
Grisamore expressed satisfaction with the Columbia police department and says he’s hopeful for an arrest.
“We don’t want to see these guys get off on such a brutal attack and not be brought to justice,” said Grisamore. “If they’d continued to beat him and his co-worker had not happened upon the scene at the time he did, they could have killed him, potentially. It was pretty brutal.”
Columbia Police Department spokesman Sergeant Robert Dochler responded to a request for information with a statement:
“On 12/09/14 a Columbia Police Officer made contact with Joel Grisamore at a local hospital. Grisamore reported he was assaulted by two white males in the Campus Bar and Grill, 304 Ninth Street South, on 12/08/14 at approximately 10:30 P.M. Officers are investigating the assault and have interviewed several witnesses. Officers are working to identify the suspects and the investigation is ongoing. Because this is an active investigation, no other details are being released at this time. Thank you.”