A sneaker fan who was knocked unconscious when tempers erupted outside a Manchester city center store about to release the latest Nike Jordans has been released from hospital after an examination, his mother said.
Footage of the shocking incident showed the 21-year-old business graduate being kicked in the head as violence broke out outside Size? Manchester on Market Street on Saturday morning (January 11).
His mother has now revealed that he has been released from the hospital after a scan gave him the all clear. During the ‘frenzy’, the woman’s son was knocked unconscious. The bosses say they offered the youngster ‘full assistance’, but it was refused.
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The young man was attacked before opening hours when the sneaker retailer had announced it would be selling Nike’s latest Air Jordan sneakers, named after Chicago Bulls basketball legend Michael Jordan, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The coveted ‘Air Jordan 4 SE Craft Photon Dust’ went on sale for the first time on Saturday, with one pair costing £285.
Fans of the new sneakers, said to have responded to an advertisement for the store, turned up at the Market Street venue in the dark well before opening time.
Store staff handed out tickets to the first prospective customers to confirm their place in line, but problems arose when more people arrived, according to a source.
Video delivered to Manchester evening news it shows a group of young people huddled around the main door of the premises.
Moments later, raised voices can be heard, and a fight breaks out in the center of the gathering of young men.
A man, wearing a blue top, emerges from the group pursued by others. He is seen falling to the ground and one of the men is seen kicking the man in the head.
The wounded man is then seen lying motionless on the ground.
The boy’s mother told MEN that her son woke up moments later. He was taken to A&E the next day and was released after a scan.
She said of the ‘frenzy’: “He wasn’t there with any friends. He was alone. He ended up taking an Uber home. He was knocked out on the ground.”
She confirmed what the Greater Manchester Police had said: that her son had not reported the assault to the police.
A source familiar with the incident told the MEN that the man was knocked unconscious.
On its website, Size?Manchester says it offers ‘niche brands and products’ in ‘bespoke’ stores that feature ‘sought after products that were not readily available in your regular store’.
It bills itself as a ‘go-to retailer for exclusive and coveted sneaker releases’.
The victim’s mother has complained directly to Size? about the incident. The company said in a response: “Thank you for contacting our sizeable customer support team about the incident outside our Manchester store.”
The email promised that the company would “contact the Manchester store manager for a point of view regarding this matter.”
A spokesperson for the shoe retailer, which is part of Bury-based JD Sports, told MEN: “The safety of our customers and employees is our absolute priority, and we do not condone violence of any kind. As soon as we We learned that in the face of the incident, which occurred before the store opened, one of Size’s managers sought to help the affected person, offering him all his assistance”.
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