What was supposed to be a joyful birthday celebration took a shocking turn for retired NYPD Detective Daniel Sprague. Wearing a bright red “Make Fifty Great Again” hat — a thoughtful gift from his wife — Sprague found himself unexpectedly attacked by a stranger who didn’t like his hat.
Dressed in a matching shirt emblazoned with the American flag and the phrase “Making America Great Since 1970,” Sprague was enjoying the evening at The Stage on Broadway with friends when the incident occurred. Suddenly, a woman grabbed him from behind, spun him around, and punched him in the face.
“I thought it was a friend playing a joke at first,” Sprague recalled, “but then I got hit. I couldn’t believe someone could get that upset over a hat.”
According to the New York Post, both Sprague and the woman were promptly escorted out of the venue. Sprague didn’t have the chance to call the police right away but later filed a report with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The report described how the suspect grabbed his hat and struck him, while Sprague himself did not retaliate.
Though Sprague had encountered a few reactions to his attire earlier that night, none were violent or hostile — making the sudden attack all the more shocking.
