A Madison man was taken to the hospital after he was apparently attacked downtown early Thursday morning.

A Madison woman, 22, contacted the police after discovering the injured victim lying on the ground holding a knife around 1:47 a.m. Thursday on the 600 block of State Street, according to a Madison Police Department statement. The statement said the 21-year-old victim said he was at a bar before the incident occurred outside.

The victim struggled to provide the police with information on the incident or the suspect, according to MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain. The victim remembered a group of people outside a downtown tavern speaking to him as he walked past, he said. The victim recalled being punched in the face, DeSpain said.

The victim also recalled having a knife in his pocket during the attack, but did not believe he threatened anyone with it, according to the statement. The victim claimed he told his attackers he did not want any conflict, the statement said.

DeSpain said the woman did not see the incident occur, but she saw the injuries and felt it was in the best interest to call the police. The woman most likely did not approach the victim due to the knife in his hand, he said.

“By the time we got there, the guy was down and was still conscious,” DeSpain said. “We asked if he lost consciousness and he said he didn’t know.”

DeSpain added police asked the victim how much he had been drinking and the victim reported drinking a lot that night.

The victim sustained several cuts and abrasions during the incident, according to DeSpain. The injuries were not significant, but one required five stitches, he said.

“Typically in a case like this, once we give him time to collect his thoughts, we will ask him about [the incident] again and see if he has any additional insights,” DeSpain said.

There may be other witnesses to the battery, but at this time no one else has contacted MPD, according to DeSpain.