Seattle man says he is latest victim of city's pepper-spray attacker

SEATTLE -- Imagine walking downtown and suddenly being hit in the face with pepper spray. A man says that’s what happened to him Friday night, and he might not be the only victim.

Nick Affolter said Tuesday that he and a friend had just left the Pax Gaming Convention when they were stopped.

“A bike gondolier asked us if we needed a ride somewhere,” he said. “We said no, he said fine and took off.”

He said they started walking down the street when the guy on the bike approached them again and yelled.

“I turned to look what was going on and I saw basically a stream coming at my face.  I realize now it was pepper spray.”

He said his eyes started burning so badly that he dropped his phone and backpack to the ground.

“I was incapacitated. Fortunately, my friend didn’t get hit very badly.”

He said he thinks that’s why the guy who attacked him didn’t steal his stuff.

“He hesitated for a moment, but when he saw my friend was fine, he took off as quick as he could.”

Nick isn’t the only person who says he’s been attacked by someone with pepper spray. Delores Otness’ 14-year-old son was walking his dog near Golden Gardens in late July, when he was mugged.

“The next thing he knows is the guy sprays him, hits him in the head, took off his headphones that he had around his neck and reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone,” she said.

Police say two other people were also attacked with pepper spray that night. They released a sketch of the suspect in those cases. Nick thinks it might be the same person who attacked him.

“He looked very similar,” he said. “He wasn’t wearing a hoodie, but he had a little bit of stubble and short hair.”

Nick hopes someone will recognize the man, so no one else gets hurt.

“I’m still fairly surprised it happened, given the amount of people that were in the area. It seemed pretty bold and brash to do that.”

If you recognize the suspect in the sketch, you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.