Partially Blind Guitarist Beaten, Robbed In Shawnee Park

A partially blind guitarist claims he was beaten and robbed at a park in Shawnee on Monday afternoon.

Kenneth Weathers was mugged and assaulted at Woodland Park. He said the suspects told him not to come back. Weathers says despite the threat, he wanted to expose the problem. He took News 9 back to the scene of the crime.

Weathers can only see out of his left eye but while he strummed the guitar just before the incident, he still managed to spot a possible threat in the park. He says he watched as an unknown man approached, and nervously performed the rest of the song.

"I was in the middle of playing a song like this when two of them grabbed me from behind and the other three beat me in the face until they knocked me out."

Weathers says the men made off with one of his guitars and the money in his pocket.

"It's a public place, in broad daylight. I am less than a 100 yards from the sheriff's department so I didn't think my life was in danger."

He reported the beating to the Shawnee Police Department and vowed not to come back to the park alone. "I've already been beat up once this week. I'm not going to do it again."

Shawnee Police say they investigated the incident and turned reports over to the district attorney to consider filing charges on the suspect. Until then, Weathers says he will avoid playing his music in the park.