DARLINGTON - Darlington police are seeking the public's help to find suspects in an assault that occurred in the 500 block of East Louisa Street at about 10:30 p.m. Monday.

The assault is being investigated as a hate crime, Police Chief Jason King said in a news release Wednesday.

According to a police investigation:

A 29-year-old Darlington man was walking eastbound on East Louisa Street when two white men approached him and physically assaulted him while directing racial epithets at him.

The suspects reportedly struck the victim in the face several times, knocking him to the ground. One suspect then reportedly displayed a knife, cut the victim's shirt and left a small laceration on his stomach.

The victim was taken by Rural Medical Ambulance Service to Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County for treatment of his injuries.

The suspects are described as two white men in their 20s. One was short and stocky and the other was tall, skinny and had facial hair. They fled the scene in a red-colored, newer model, two-door car.

The getaway car was driven by a third suspect, described only as a white male. The car was observed leaving Darlington on Wisconsin 11 East.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the police department at 608-776-4981.