Seattle police are investigating a man's death as a homicide after initial confusion over whether the man fell or was assaulted, Seattle police said.

The man, 64, was found near the intersection of Fifth Avenue South and South Weller Street in the International District sometime after 8 p.m. on November 21, police said. He was unresponsive and bleeding profusely from his head when police arrived, they said. Police said it appeared that he had hit his head on a metal pipe attached to a nearby building, but it wasn't clear if he had fallen accidentally or if he was assaulted.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center and homicide detectives were notified, police said.

On November 23, the case was formally referred to homicide detectives for review, police said.

On November 26, the man died at the hospital, police said. During the autopsy, the medical examiner's office determined that the man suffered more injuries than had originally been reported and that those injuries were consistent with an assault, not a fall, police said.

Seattle police are asking anyone with information about the assault to call homicide detectives at 206-684-5550.

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