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charlie-spargo
29th March 2016

Former Manchester IT specialist dies after horrific street attack

Paul Tam was set upon by two robbers while walking with his niece in San Francisco last month
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TLDR

Ex-University of Manchester IT manager Paul Tam has died after being stabbed in the street in San Francisco a month ago.

Tributes have been paid to the 44-year-old former web content and digital marketing manager who moved to the USA to find new work after being at the university for a decade.

He was walking with his niece in the Japantown area of San Francisco on February the 18th when he was mugged by a man and woman. While trying to prevent the robbers from taking the bag he carried containing his passport, phone, money, and bank cards, he was stabbed in the head.

He died on Thursday the 24th of March at San Francisco General Hospital.

His niece was unharmed and the authorities are yet to catch those responsible for Tam’s murder.

Police have released the footage of the tragic incident in the hope of being able to identify and find the two criminals.

According to San Francisco police, the male attacked was around 5’10”, black, and in his 30s or 40s, and the female was around 5’4″, black, and in her 20s, with braided hair in a ponytail.

The video, which can be viewed here (video contains distressing images), appears to show the hooded attacker chasing and attacking Tam in the road as cars drive past the seriously injured man.

Police believe they have recovered a scarf belonging to the woman which is currently being tested for DNA traces.

Manchester residents who had lived in the same neighbourhood as Paul Tam described him to ITV News as “a very nice person, very kind and gentle.”


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