The friends and family of a La Jolla, CA man who was left paralyzed after a brutal assault on Frenchmen Street earlier this month have launched a campaign to raise money for his medical expenses, including an estimated $20,000 medical airlift back to his home-state of California.

Doug David was attacked on the night of October 15 following a confrontation with the driver of a black car at the corner of Frenchmen Street and Decatur (just outside the offices of OffBeat). According to a witness, the 64-year-old was punched once and suffered the worst of his injuries when he fell back on to the street.

David is currently being treated at University Medical Center, and police are looking for a 30-year-old suspect from New Orleans named Christopher Smith. Local musicians, including Tuba Skinny, have gone to the hospital to play for David, who is an avid fan of New Orleans music and a frequent visitor to the city.

Friends and family of the victim have set up a Facebook page called Justice for Doug David to help with the fundraising efforts. The group is also concerned with the lackluster response from the NOPD, which did not open an investigation into the attack until 10 days after the incident, as well as the delayed response from the hospital, which did not notify David’s family until four days after he arrived.