A 54-year-old man told young men to stop using profanity in downtown St. Paul and two attacked him, slashing his arm and hitting him on the head, police said Monday.

The victim fought off the suspects, who ran off. He later received treatment for his injuries at the VA Medical Center, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman.

St. Paul officers were called to the hospital to take the report early Sunday afternoon. The man was assaulted about 3 a.m. Sunday, as he waited to transfer to a bus after taking the Green Line from Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul. He was with his fiancee.

The Maplewood man told officers that three males, who he estimated to be 16 to 20 years old, “were acting boisterous and being disrespectful by using profanity,” according to Ernster. The man asked them to stop swearing, but they began arguing with him and two assaulted him.

Police believe the assault happened at Fifth and Minnesota streets, based on the victim’s description.

One male pulled a knife and used the weapon’s butt end to strike the victim on the head several times. He slashed at the man, cutting him in the right wrist and left forearm, Ernster said. Another male punched the victim a couple of times.

The suspect with the knife is described as a light-skinned black male, 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall, 190 to 200 pounds, with a medium to “chunky” build, light mustache and goatee, and dreadlock-style hair. He was wearing a dark-blue hooded sweatshirt, dark-blue jeans, a red bandana tied around his neck and red tennis shoes.

The male who punched the victim is described as a white male, 16 to 20 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 150 to 160 pounds, with dark hair and a buzz cut. He was a wearing a button-up shirt, red jeans and red tennis shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 651-266-5621.