Ex-Cardinal Curt Ford attacked near St. Louis, told ‘go back to Ferguson’
Curt Ford, a St. Louis Cardinals outfielder from 1985-1988, was the victim in an alleged racially motivated attack Wednesday at a St. Louis-area gas station. Ford was punched in the face and, according to police, was told by his attacker: “Go back to Ferguson you (racial slur).”
The attack happened at a Petro Mart gas station in Fenton, Mo., about 28 miles from Ferguson, the St. Louis suburb that was the epicenter of protests and racial turmoil after Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer there last August.
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According to police, Ford was minding his business when his attacker — who was later arrested and identified as 37-year-old James Street — blind-sided him with a punch as they were both inside gas station’s store.
Here’s more from the scene, via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
The incident began at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday as Street and Ford approached the same gas pump from different directions. Ford backed up and proceeded to another pump while the second vehicle continued through, past the pump and pulled into a parking spot directly in front of the store, police said.
When Ford exited his vehicle, Street got out of his car and began shouting racial slurs. Street then entered the store, and Ford tried to avoid a confrontation, police said. Ford then walked toward the front of the store to pay for his gas. Street was exiting the store when he approached Ford, and unprovoked, punched him in the face, and drove away, according to police.
Prosecutors charged Street with one count of assault motivated by discrimination in the third degree, a class D felony. His criminal history includes guilty pleas for possession of marijuana and assault.
Ford was drafted by the Cardinals and played four seasons for them, including their run to the 1987 World Series. He played two more seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and left MLB after the 1990 season. More recently, Ford managed the Springfield (Mo.) Sliders, a collegiate summer team, in 2010.
He told the Post-Dispatch that while he cares a lot about St. Louis and loves most of the people there, the incident has him thinking about moving.
“I’m going to let the authorities handle this situation, but I’ve had enough of St. Louis,” Ford said in a phone interview Thursday. “You hear about this kind of stuff happening, and I always knew it existed because of my previous experience working here in St. Louis, but you try to keep away from it and there is just no way you can do that unless you stay inside like a hermit.
“I just want justice. It’s all I want.”
Street is being held on $15,000 bond, according to St. Louis’ KMOV-TV. Ford told the Post-Dispatch that he’s been having trouble speaking because his face is so swollen.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
