Last night St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Paul Hampel was covering the anniversary protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

Paul was right in the mix of looting and violence when a group of protesters beat, stomped and robbed him.

He posted this right before the beating.

Hampel spent the night in a local hospital.

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Paul Hampel suffered a concussion from the brutal assault.

St. Louis reporter @phampel after he was mugged, robbed in #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/vbnCpP5acP

The hooligans took his phone and wallet.

He described the beating to the Post-Dispatch, via Twitchy:

Hampel said he was taking photos and videos of break-ins along West Florissant Avenue shortly before he was attacked. Suddenly, he said, he was rushed from behind.

“I got swarmed, beaten down really bad,” he said.

The attackers punched him in the face, hit him in the head at least three times and kicked him in the back of the head when he was on the ground, Hampel said.

The attackers took his phone and wallet and left.