NORTHAMPTON — A man was injured in a jarring incident Saturday night on the corner of Pleasant Street and Kingsley Avenue, police reported.
Zachary Kamel, a Montreal resident visiting for the holiday weekend, said he was walking down Pleasant Street at around 11:15 p.m. with a friend when a car drove up and “leaned on the horn” for long enough that passers-by began to gawk.
Kamel, who reported the incident to police, said he watched a man get out of the passenger side of the car, screaming. He said the man began “drop-kicking” another man who materialized on the corner, dragged the victim into the car and told him he was going to die.
“Everyone that saw what I saw didn’t think the guy who was taken would be found alive,” Kamel said Sunday.
Kamel said within less than a minute the car sped off, heading south on Pleasant Street. He described the incident as a kidnapping, but police did not use that term.
The victim subsequently called for medical attention and police interviewed him at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
“He knew the person who assailed him,” said Detective Corey Robinson, adding that the victim was treated for cuts, bruises and an injury to the hand.
Police reviewed surveillance footage obtained from Millennium Package Store and Roberto’s Restaurant. Robinson said the department is investigating the incident but the victim is not cooperating. He declined to name the injured man but said more information would be available Monday.
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.