Seattle police-transparency gadfly assaulted downtown The programmer reportedly followed a bloodied man armed with a stun gun before the man turned on him

Timothy Clemans, photographed atop the Space Needle, was recognized in 2011 for breaking the record for the most consecutive visits to the top of the tower. Since then, he's become a government transparency activist. On Thursday, he detailed his assault by a stun gun-toting man at Westlake Center.

less Timothy Clemans, photographed atop the Space Needle, was recognized in 2011 for breaking the record for the most consecutive visits to the top of the tower. Since then, he's become a government transparency ... more Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Seattle police-transparency gadfly assaulted downtown 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A reported fight between a man with a stun gun and a man carrying a slingshot Thursday morning led to a notorious Seattle public-records advocate being assaulted while reporting the incident to police.

Tim Clemans, known as a government transparency gadfly who has inundated local agencies with thousands of public-records requests in an effort to promote public data sharing, posted his account of the incident on the "Seattle Public Records" blog to which he contributes.

He was left with cuts to his face after being attacked at Westlake Center, requiring stitches.

Police reports say a man later identified as Clemans called 911 about 10:18 a.m., reporting a fight between a man armed with a stun gun and a man with a slingshot in the 1500 block of Third Avenue.

He then told 911 call takers that the men separated and the slingshot-toting man headed to Fourth Avenue and Pine Street.

When police arrived, people flagged them down to report a "large fight" in the Westlake Center mall. Employees reported a man covered in blood heading north on Fourth Avenue.

Meanwhile, police found Clemans, who had suffered cuts to his face. He described the fight he saw outside a Third Avenue 7-Eleven, saying the man carrying the stun gun had a bloody face, according to Seattle police reports.

When the men separated, Clemans followed the stun gun-armed man on Pine Street while on the phone with 911 call takers. Staff on the 911 call reportedly discouraged Clemans from following the man, but he continued his pursuit.

Eventually, the man spotted Clemans following him and ran toward him, police reports say. Clemans reportedly tried to run away, but the man caught up to him at Westlake Center and assaulted him.

Clemans told police he did not remember how the man assaulted him or where he went when he left, but he suffered cuts to his forehead and above his left eye.

Police found a man matching the description of the attacker -- including the bloody face -- at Second Avenue and Lenora Street. The man initially tried to run from cops and then lied about his name, Seattle police say.

Officers took Clemans to the man to identify him, but Clemans reportedly said it wasn't the same man.

However, while being taken to Harborview Medical Center, medical staff recovered a stun gun among the man's possessions.

Clemans' wounds were stitched up at Harborview.

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