Police are searching for the man who attacked a downtown Minneapolis restaurant worker.

The man bit the 19-year-old Lotus employee six times on his back and shoulders. 

"I work here I don't think of it as a job. I've known the family since I was like 13," said Jezarious Sheldon.

What he never expected was to be attacked while taking out the garbage. Video from a store nearby shows the confrontation.

"When I walked past him for the first time, he said something like 'what are you doing out here suburb boy'," Sheldon said.

Sheldon says there were several people standing by, watching as the man continued to verbally attack him.

"There was a lady watching and she watched everything happen and he looks at the lady and he said watch what I'm about to do to this b-word and that's when he started pushing me against the window and then that's when it turned into self-defense," Sheldon said.

Sheldon studies jiu-jitsu. He used those skills and what he learned as a high school wrestler to fight back.

"And every time I would pick him up and have him in the air — he was what like 6'2 — so he had a lot of room, so he would latch on to my shoulder while I was taking him down and every time I would have him on the ground he would bite my chest," said Sheldon. 

Bystanders pulled Sheldon off the attacker and when he tried to walk about, he kept coming for him.

"Brazilian jiu-jitsu — the guy bit off more than he can chew," said Lotus co-owner Yoom Nguyen.

Nguyen says his family has seen the neighborhood change since they opened in 1984.

"I think safety is a huge issue here in people don't tend to come out anymore to dine out to go eat because they don't feel safe, I think that's the biggest thing," Nguyen said.

He wants more patrols in the area but understands why police response is limited.

"They need more help. The guys are short-staffed and there is only so much they can do," Nguyen said. 

Nguyen hopes neighbors use their power of presence to keep the area safer.

"I've always believed if more people came out more people from the neighborhood it tends to shoo away the bad people, " said Nguyen.

Police say they are actively searching for the attacker, who could face felony assault charges.