SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) – A 66-year-old Georgia man was beaten within an inch of his life after police say he opened his front door to two men posing as Amazon employees.
George “Dirk” Hardison, 66, answered his front door around 8 a.m. Saturday after two men he thought were Amazon workers delivering a package knocked. The suspects then pushed their way into Hardison’s home in Savannah and attacked him, WTOC reports.
Police allege the two men demanded money before beating the 66-year-old with some sort of sledgehammer. The attack lasted for nearly eight minutes.
Hardison can be heard in video footage yelling out for help from his neighbors, who showed up soon after to find him covered in blood with multiple head injuries. He was hospitalized and received 14 staples in his head.
The suspects made off with only $80.
Video footage shows the suspects with covered faces both before and after the attack. They were disguised as Amazon workers, wearing signature blue and black jackets and carrying a package. It’s unclear what, if anything, was in the box they brought with them. They left with the same package.
Police are still searching for the suspects. They describe the two men as younger black males in their 20s with medium brown complexions.
The suspects are set to be charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery and home invasion, at minimum.
In the meantime, as Hardison recovers, the bar where he works – O’Connell’s Pub – has started a GoFundMe to help him, saying, “The police are investigating this heinous crime, but in the meantime, let’s show Dirk the love and support he deserves.”
Amazon sent WTOC the following statement about the attack:
“Based off our internal investigation, we can confirm that these individuals were not making a scheduled delivery for Amazon. We monitor the Internet regularly for unauthorized Amazon apparel and demand that those items be removed when and where we can. People who make deliveries on behalf of Amazon do not routinely knock on doors nor ask customers to sign for packages unless already prearranged.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this crime should call Savannah Police directly.
Copyright 2025 WTOC via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.