PORTLAND (AP) – A 37-year-old man was killed early Saturday after a group of young men chased him down and attacked him near a public housing complex, police said.

Police received several 911 calls shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday reporting that a “pack” of up to eight men between 16 to 25 years old had chased the man through a soccer field near the Kennedy Park housing complex, said Acting Chief Joe Loughlin.

After the man was caught, he was repeatedly assaulted before crawling through a hole in a fence and collapsing on a sidewalk on Fox Street, where police found him when they arrived a few minutes later, Loughlin said.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was taken to Maine Medical Center, where he died. Detectives believe that that assailant knew the victim, Loughlin said.

“We’re not sure of the motive behind this,” he said. “There’s a possibility of drugs being involved, but we’re not sure.”

Witnesses told police that the assailants were white, black and of Asian descent, Loughlin said. A weapon was pulled during the attack, but the chief declined to say what kind of weapon it was.

The victim was white and lived in Portland, but was a transient who is thought to have stayed with friends, Loughlin said.

No arrests have been made and detectives are continuing to investigate the case.

Police are also seeking help from any witnesses who have information.

AP-ES-08-16-08 1540EDT


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