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UPDATE: Investigation of Assault on Senator's Son Ended

UPDATED: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 --- 8:25 a.m.

WHITEWATER, Wis. (AP) -- Whitewater police have suspended their investigation into an assault on the son of a state senator.

Police say 22-year-old Sean Kedzie and witnesses failed to identify the same suspect. State Sen. Neal Kedzie says his son was attacked outside his home in Whitewater last October after confronting two men who were taking a Republican yard sign. The senator says the men held his son in a choke hold and beat him in the face and head.

The State Journal reports police are suspending the case pending any new evidence.

Copyright 2012: Associated Press
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UPDATED Monday, December 10, 2012 --- 5:52 p.m.

A state senator's son who says he was badly beaten in October has asked police to suspend the investigation.

Sean Kedzie says he was beaten up outside his home after trying to stop two men from stealing his political yard signs. Sean is the son of state senator Neil Kedzie.

Sean thought he knew who one of the attackers was, but after several weeks of investigating, police told Sean there was no evidence to support his claims that the man was there. Sean Kedzie told investigators he "put a lot of thought into it," but now wanted to "just let it be done."

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UPDATED Tuesday, October 23, 2012 --- 5:45 p.m,

A brutal beating is blamed on politics.

State Senator Neil Kedzie's son was attacked last week. He says he was beat up because of a Mitt Romney yard sign.

Initially, the family wanted to keep their thoughts on the attack to themselves but say now that the story is getting national attention they want to use it to point out, when it comes to politics, things have gone too far.

In a quiet neighborhood along a busy street people are having a hard time imagining something as small and common as a political yard sign could cause something so brutal.

Sean Kedzie's injuries are visible. He says his head is still swollen and his eyes are still sore.

He says, "During the beating they're saying things like Romney sucks and F-Romney and go Obama."

Early Friday morning Kedzie heard a noise, looked out his front window and saw someone stealing his Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan yard sign.

He says, "I immediately opened up my front door, ran out off the front porch and said hey, you have something that belongs to me."

Kedzie says the two men told him he was right and while one put the yard sign back in the ground the other walked around behind him.

He says that's when they charged him and before he could defend himself he was in a choke hold. He says they punched him at least 20 times in the head.

Kedzie says, "Everything was going black and it's all just closing in from the sides. He was choking me so hard I couldn't even spit out the word please to get him to stop. It got to that point where I'm thinking, is this it."

Kedzie doesn't have any question about what prompted the attack.

He says, "It's definitely politically motivated when they say things like F-Romney and Romney sucks and go Obama."

Kedzie was taken to the emergency room by ambulance that night. He says initially doctors thought he may have had a fractured skull and eye socket.

He's still sore but will be OK.

X-rays showed no fractures, only nasty bumps and bruises.

It's an attack his father, Republican State Senator Neal Kedzie, is still having a hard time understanding.

He says, "What's happened to us as Wisconsinites, as Americans? It's so absurd and so appalling but so indicative of the course of politics today."

Something as normal in front yards across the country as a yard sign, is now being blamed for a beating the 22-year-old Kedzie will have trouble getting over.

He says, "If this is what it's come to, whats the next step?"

Whitewater police are involved and at this point they tell us this is an active in investigation.

Sean had only lived in the home for 2 weeks and both he and his father say they don't think the attack had anything to do with his father's political position, only the sign.

The senator says he's gotten quite a few calls and words of support from politicians on both sides of the aisle.

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Posted Monday, October 22, 2012 --- 4:40 p.m.

State Senator Neal Kedzie says his son was attacked while trying to stop someone from stealing his Romney/Ryan yard sign.

Whitewater Police tell NBC15 News this is an active investigation.

Here is the statement released by Senator Neal Kedzie:

Early on Friday morning, October 19th, my son Sean was awakened by noises outside his residence in Whitewater. As he went to see what the commotion was about, he noticed an individual removing a Romney/Ryan yard sign from his property. He yelled to the person that they were taking something not theirs and to return it immediately.

The individual returned the sign, however, a second person confronted and attacked Sean without warning.

Sean was wrestled to the ground by both persons, held down by a constricting chokehold, and struck repeatedly about the face and head.

He nearly passed out from the chokehold and suffered contusions to his face and eyes.

Fortunately, an alert neighbor heard the commotion, scared the individuals away, and called the police.

My wife and I were awakened by a telephone call from Sean’s roommate that Sean had been taken by ambulance to Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital.

Sean was treated for his injuries and released from the hospital the same day.

As this was a private family matter, we chose not to remark publicly about it and allow law enforcement to do their job. But we understand these types of incidents will eventually become public and questions will arise, particularly in my position as a state legislator.

Sean is still recovering from the injuries he sustained as a result of this beating, and we are confident he will make a full recovery.

But obviously, as parents, we are shaken by this event and very troubled it was apparently initiated and motivated for political reasons.


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  • by Joe Location: Madison on Dec 11, 2012 at 09:12 AM
    Isn't filing a false police report a crime?
  • by Kevin Location: Madison on Dec 11, 2012 at 07:39 AM
    Sounds like buyers remorse. If he was victimized he would want the attackers found. Now the cops found out he has holes in his story now he wants the investigation to stop. Makes me feel like there is a hoax in the works!!!
  • by Citizen Location: Madison on Dec 10, 2012 at 09:27 PM
    Sounds to me like someone was making up a story...
  • by Mwoww Location: wi on Dec 10, 2012 at 08:58 PM
    This guy should be charged with lying to authorities and be fined. He should have to pay for the resources used.
  • by dfgh on Oct 31, 2012 at 03:47 PM
    Honestly it sounds more like those two were looking for a fight and use politics as the scapegoat. Thugs are thugs and I hope they are found.
  • by JB Location: Wisconsin on Oct 30, 2012 at 09:54 AM
    If the story is accurate, it's dead wrong and saddens me as a Dem. Actions like stealing yard signs and defacing property do not help the American people, our party or our candidates in any way. Simply destroys credibility. Don't believe me, fellow Dems? Just look at the comments here grinding away on your entire ideology. It's pretty clear the young man got beaten up, but I'm going to wait for a police report before I decide why it happened and indict roughly half the country. For all we know, this was a garden variety, drunken, Friday night college town fight with no political motive at all.
  • by Ellie Location: Lakewood, CO on Oct 28, 2012 at 09:24 AM
    This is just a taste of what is to come, i would be prepared for riots in every city if ombama loses. democrats are very sore losers.
  • by Tom K. Location: Location on Oct 26, 2012 at 01:31 PM
    Obama supporters have begun to realize that they, and the rest of the Country, have been duped and lied to, too. They are mad at their party and themselves. Since many Libs can not take responsibility for their own actions, they will blame and / or lash out at others. Liberalism IS a mental disorder. Vote for Romney and save America.
  • by DontBeAHypocrit Location: Madison on Oct 25, 2012 at 11:54 AM
    Come on, seriously? This is suppose to represents everyone who supports Obama? This stuff happens everyday. The fact that it happened to be a state senator's son is the only reason that it is news. The fact that this happened at 2 in the morning in a college town makes me think there is more to this story. Also, I'm sorry, but you don't confront 2 guys over 6 foot tall in your front yard without a back-up plan or a gun. That's just dumb. You know there are Romney supporters out there, especially if fueled with alcohol, would have not hesitated to pummel someone if they confronted them face to face at 2 in the morning.
  • by steve Location: Iowa on Oct 25, 2012 at 05:12 AM
    I lived in Madison for 4 months; had my stickers removed from my car at the DMV. I remember in 2004 when Democrats burned Swastikas on people's yards. Would love to go back and wear my Anti-Obama shirt at Quaker Steak and Lube to see the reaction.

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