A 45-year-old Oakdale man is recovering from reconstructive surgery after he was knocked unconscious and stomped by members of a group at the Minnesota State Fair Saturday night, according to his fiancée.
Minnesota State Fair police confirmed to Alpha News that officers were dispatched at 9:48 p.m. on Sept. 5 to the area of Carnes Avenue and Nelson Street for an assault stemming from what police described as “a confrontation with another group of fairgoers.”
No suspects are in custody, and the case remains under investigation, police said.
Heather Hoffman, the fiancée of victim Sammy Kimbrough, told Alpha News the couple went to the fair with a group of friends Saturday evening. Hoffman and several other women attended a concert at the Grandstand while Kimbrough and other friends walked around the fair.
They planned to meet up after the concert.
Instead, Hoffman received a call that Kimbrough had been badly injured.
According to Hoffman, Kimbrough was walking through the crowded fair when he accidentally bumped into someone in a group of about eight to 12 young men who ranged in age from about 16 to their early 20s.
The person became verbally aggressive, she said, but Kimbrough attempted to de-escalate the situation. Kimbrough and the two friends with him continued walking and believed the encounter was over.
Seconds later, Hoffman said, one member of the group came up behind Kimbrough and “sucker-punched” him.
“He was unconscious before he hit the ground,” Hoffman told Alpha News.
Hoffman said she believes the attacker may have been wearing brass knuckles because of the severity of Kimbrough’s injuries, though State Fair police said “no known weapons were used.”
After Kimbrough fell unconscious, Hoffman said witnesses told her members of the group continued attacking him.
“The friends of the person who originally knocked him out came down and stomped him while he was already unconscious,” she said.
Hoffman said she was told the entire encounter lasted less than 90 seconds. The group then scattered.
“I have had a couple people reach out to me via Facebook Messenger that saw the incident and were right there,” Hoffman said, adding that witnesses told her they “thought he was dead.”
Hoffman said she was told the two people believed to have inflicted the most serious injuries were “light-skinned African-American males.”
Kimbrough eventually regained consciousness and was taken to Regions Hospital, where doctors determined his jaw was broken in two places, according to Hoffman. His injuries required emergency reconstructive surgery, and he remained hospitalized for two days.
‘I just feel like I’m in a nightmare’
Kimbrough is now recovering at home, but Hoffman said the assault has upended virtually every aspect of the family’s life.
“He can’t open his mouth. He can’t speak, he can’t eat,” she said. “He’s angry. He’s in excruciating pain.”
Kimbrough works as a union masonry laborer and is currently unable to work, according to Hoffman. She is also missing work to care for him.
“I just feel like I’m in a nightmare.”
Hoffman said State Fair police told her investigators have video of the assault but that the suspects’ faces could not be clearly identified. Police declined to provide additional information to Alpha News, citing the active investigation.
“I just want these people responsible to be held responsible and accountable for their actions,” Hoffman said. “They changed our lives forever. And I’m very angry.”
A GoFundMe has been established to help cover expenses associated with Kimbrough’s hospitalization, surgery, recovery and lost wages.
“To know Sammy is to know a gentle giant,” the fundraiser states. “He’s truly one of a kind.”
State Fair police said anyone with information about the assault should contact the Minnesota State Fair Police Department at 651-288-4500.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
