FENTON, Mo. -- Prosecutors say a white St. Louis-area man was driven by racism when he allegedly punched former Cardinals outfielder Curt Ford.
St. Louis County prosecutors have charged 37-year-old James Street of Fenton with felony third-degree assault motivated by discrimination.
The 54-year-old Ford, who is black, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he was walking into a convenience store Wednesday when he was punched in the face without warning after Street shouted racial slurs at him, including "go back to Ferguson," according to police.
"I was sucker-punched, blindsided," Ford told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday. "I was walking into the store and hit from my blind side."
Ford told the newspaper that he may leave the St. Louis area due to the incident.
"I'm going to let the authorities handle this situation, but I've had enough of St. Louis," Ford said. "You hear about this kind of stuff happening, and I always knew it existed because of my previous experience working here in St. Louis, but you try to keep away from it and there is just no way you can do that unless you stay inside like a hermit.
"I just want justice. It's all I want."
Online court records don't show whether Street has an attorney. He doesn't have a listed home phone number.
Ford was selected by the Cardinals in the 1981 amateur draft. He played for St. Louis from mid-1985 to May 1990, finishing his career with a .245 career average.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.