A Madison man was attacked at gunpoint early Thursday morning near the Capitol.

A 30-year-old man contacted the Madison Police Department Thursday, reporting he was attacked around 2:15 a.m. at 10 N. Henry St. by a black male armed with a gun.

The assailant is described as a black male, between 20 and 25 years old, 6 feet tall and 185 pounds. According to a police report, he was wearing a black knit cap, and his face was covered with a black bandana. He also wore a black, shiny, puffy waist-length jacket and dark colored pants.

?This is a random assault of a guy who just happened to be walking along on Henry Street,? said Joel DeSpain, public information officer for MPD.

According to the report, the perpetrator grabbed the victim from behind, pointed a gun at him and ordered him to the ground.

?It?s obviously a very unfortunate incident and quite a scary one,? said City Council President, Mike Verveer, District 4 ? the district where the incident occurred.

The victim did not get down on the ground but instead engaged in a ?tussle? with the gunman, the report said. The fight ended when the perpetrator struck the victim across the face with his gun.

DeSpain said the victim suffered a cut on his cheek.

?Luckily the victim was not seriously injured,? Verveer said. ?Absolutely it is not recommended to fight someone armed with a dangerous weapon, as was the case here.?

The victim told police the gunman then walked westbound onto West Washington Avenue.

?We?d like to catch the guy, but we have not caught him yet,? DeSpain said.

According to Verveer, armed muggings like the one early Thursday morning are rare in the downtown area.

?Luckily it?s not these sorts of muggings, particularly those with the use of a gun, that are very common downtown,? Verveer said.