Man impaired from wine, Robitussin, punches elderly man, police say

A man who was impaired after drinking wine and cough medicine punched an elderly man on Madison’s near east side Monday, police said.

Madison police said a 76-year-old man was sitting outside on his walker on the 300 block of South Ingersoll Street at 5:20 p.m. when he was attacked, unprovoked.

Brian C. Phillips, 24, punched the man, according to the report. A 45-year-old man told police he saw the attack and got between Phillips and the elderly man to prevent further violence.

The citizen told police Phillips attempted to punch and kick him, but he was “so messed up” he fell to the sidewalk striking his face.

Phillips told police he had been consuming a mixture of wine and Robitussin before the incident, police said.

Phillips doesn’t have a permanent address, and he told officers he arrived in Madison a couple of weeks ago by way of California and Minnesota. Phillips said he’s on his way to New York.