COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Brutus Buckeye statue outside a well-known Ohio State campus store was torn from its base and badly damaged overnight, leaving the store's owner with more questions than answers.
The statue was a fixture outside College Traditions, a gift shop on West Lane Avenue that sells Ohio State memorabilia.
All that's left in front of the store now are two fiberglass stumps; the remainders of Brutus' ankles. His battered figure now sits near the counter of the store, missing a hand and with gashes across his head and body.
The attack happened around 3 a.m. on Sunday and was captured on the store's surveillance camera. Now store owner Kelly Dawes is asking the alleged vandal to come forward.
"It was a pretty brutal attack on Brutus," she said.
The surveillance video shows someone ripping the statue off at the ankles, kicking it down Lane Avenue and throwing it against the ground.
The individual also smashed Brutus against their Woody Hayes statue, causing it to sustain damage as well.
"He's been our welcome ever since. People just love getting their picture taken with him. I've had several customers today who were very upset," Dawes said.
Now with Michigan week here, Brutus remains standing, although worse for wear, and sports the quote, "I get knocked down but I get up again!"
"Our biggest week of the year and we don't have him. It's just really bad timing that this would happen," Dawes said.
The Columbus Division of Police and Ohio State University police are investigating the incident.