Attackers knock out autistic man's teeth in Hammond park; 1 charged: 'They started hitting me'

HAMMOND, Ind. (WLS) -- As of Friday afternoon, one of the people involved in an attack on a northwest Indiana man with autism has been charged.

Meanwhile, as Scott Lindsey continues to recover from his injuries, he is talking about the attack.

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Lindsey says he is OK despite having the majority of his front teeth knocked out when he became the target of a vicious attack.

"I'm feeling fine," Lindsey said.

The 44-year old Hammond resident is still recovering just days after he was attacked by several people, some of them on bikes.

"They said I was following them too closely," Lindsey said. "And I was about to get a drink, and I got attacked."

Relatives say the Aug. 15 attack happened as Lindsey, whose family says is autistic, rode his bike home after finishing his shift at a local grocery store, where he has worked for 14 years.

The man's stepfather, Brian Beatty, says Lindsey was beaten as he biked through Hessville Park around 7 p.m. that night.

Lindsey said as he stopped to drink at a water fountain, the group surrounded him and began verbally taunting him and calling him names before taking turns beating, punching, and kicking him.

"I didn't say anything to them," Lindsey said.

When asked what the group said to him, Lindsey said, "Like, 'Why were you so close them?' And then, they started hitting me."

Someone saw the commotion and called 911. Officers rushed to the park to find the attackers gone and Lindsey bloodied.

Lindsey, who has lived with his aunt since his mother passed away, says he initially did not want to tell anyone that he got jumped, but eventually did.

Beatty says what is even more disturbing than the unprovoked attack is that one of the people involved recorded the violence and then posted on social media. The stepfather is both angry and disappointed.

"It looks like, at this point, it was entertainment because they saw he was vulnerable. After a period of time other individuals, instead of intervening, joined in the attack and no one, no one intervened on Scott's behalf," Beatty said.

Lindsey says he will not be cutting through the park anytime soon and just wants to put the whole ordeal behind him.

"I felt bad about the whole situation," Lindsey said.

The family says Lindsey is going to need costly and extensive dental work to repair the damage to his mouth from the attack.

Anyone with any information about the attack is encouraged to contact the Hammond Police Department.