A homeless man who was armed with a knife tried to rob one of the two downtown Little Rock ambassadors hired recently to walk the business district and provide information and assistance in the area, authorities said.
It happened about 9:10 p.m. Saturday as the 30-year-old ambassador was walking near 6th and Main Streets, according to a Little Rock Police Department report.
The victim told investigators that the would-be robber first asked for money before pulling out a kitchen knife and saying, 'Don't make me cut you," the report said.
The victim ran north on Main Street when he saw the knife, police said, and the assailant ran east.
The would-be robber is described as a black man who is about 50 years old and has a salt-and-pepper beard. He was wearing a black beanie and a brown jacket.
Police searched the area but didn't make an arrest. No injuries were reported.
The Downtown Little Rock Partnership announced the ambassador program last month, hiring two workers to walk the district and provide aid, look for maintenance issues and monitor panhandlers.
"These ambassadors really are a reflection of the openness and welcomeness that we want people to understand and realize on Main Street," Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola said at a Feb. 15 news conference. "We've had issues in the past with panhandling, aggressive panhandling. We find that this [program] is very important to give an added level of safety and security for people down here whether it will be the theater or our restaurants."
