John Clark is a regular on the Downtown Mall, sitting in a beach chair with a tube-feeding machine. He has stomach cancer and says he hates to ask for money, but needs help paying for the medical supplies he needs as a result of having to get all of his nutrition through a tube. Clark’s condition worsened over the weekend, he says, when a guy in a green shirt dumped a beer on his head Saturday.
That would be Kyle Alexander Luptak, who was charged with misdemeanor assault and was still on the Downtown Mall Monday in Clark’s usual spot across from Splendora and C-Ville Weekly’s office.
“It was a stupid decision,” he says. Luptak says he woke up and Clark had insulted his friend, so he responded with the beer dumping.
Clark denies any name calling, and says he isn’t going to be intimidated by Luptak and his friends, as he sat about 30 feet away.
Maryland native Luptak is in town with several travelers and says he’s headed to a music festival. He had a court appearance this morning and is scheduled to be back before a judge September 23.
“If you write anything about this,” he says, “please say I feel bad, I feel stupid for it.”
