Sindawe
Member
I came across the following on another forum. Consideration / critique?
In this sort of situation, would you have drawn your weapon if carrying? Fired on attacker(s)? Taken another avenue of response? If so, what and why?
Call me what you will. Some of you have come to despise me because of my somewhat tolerant views. But that's the price you pay for standing for one's ideals. I've been stead-fast against right-wing radicalism, and I will continue to be the voice of reason within SOS.
Be that as it may, let me relay the events today of an unprovoked attack near my home. I know its a little long, but I think its a word to the wise if you are a victim of a hate crime.
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I was assaulted today by a group of mexicans in my town, that is about 60% hispanic and 10% white. Tensions have risen in my town since the marches, but I never expected to be assaulted without provacation in broad day light.
I was returning home from law school, just walking down the street to my place. I turned a corner when four mexican guys approach me on the other side of the side walk. As I pass on one side of the group, making no eye contact and saying nothing, one from the group veered straight into me, then threw a suckers punch right in my face! The force was sufficient to cause bleeding.
Another one from the group then ran up to me and took a couple punches at my mid-section. Meanwhile the group shouted all kinds of racist comments like "whitey", pudo?, americano etc... I had couple of these freaks approached me posturing like they were going to throw punches, and a couple had bottles that they cocked back, again posturing as if to throw the bottles. I seriously thought I would end up in the hospital.
I've lived here for six years, and never in my wildest dreams would I expect something like this.
I was more concerned about the $1000 lap top in my briefcase than about my own safety. But never once did I think about PUNCHING BACK! I used a bit of psychological warfare. I said, "estoy abrogado" and"You have just committed assault and battery, this is a crime." I said, "you cant break the laws here you will be sent back to Mexico". Trust me, sometimes it pays to use your brain.
Well it worked, the group disengaged and continued walking on as if nothing had happened.
DO YOU THINK I WOULD LET THESE RACISTS GET AWAY WITH THIS?!?!?!?!
I followed right behind them, and despite repeated threats I didnt back down. THey threw another bottle hitting me directly, and leaving my pants soaked in beer. A couple times they rushed me as if to attack, but backed down at the last split second. One took another cheap shot.
I DIDNT BACK DOWN!!!
These guys definitely didnt expect my fortitude. SO they came back at me, and it was hit and run down the street. I kept telling them that the police were coming, and this definitely had the intended effect. As I followed them down the street, I asked passerbyers to call 911 and get the police, pronto. Well, that went nowhere, as expected. I was still on my own.
A couple of these guys ran into a house. To show you my blind determination, I followed these guys to their front door, but backed away when they asked me to leave. I wasnt about to be cited for trespass.
I was still looking for the guys who took sucker shots and left me bruised and bleeding.
NOW IT GETS STRANGE
I just happened to spot one of the culprits trying to flee from the crime scene, running towards a transit station. I sprinted after this guy, and caught him in short order. Not once did I say anything racist or remotely racist to this "individual". I simple told him, "if you want to attack someone on the street you better get in shape".
I told him to stop and wait for the police, because a crime was committed. He just kept walking, and at this point I wasnt going to let this "individual" escape. This guy was scary with tattos all over this body and around his neck.
THIS MEXICAN GUY WANTED TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE, BY TAKING THE TRANSIT TO SAN FRANCISCO.
We get to the transit station, and I ran up to the office attendant. I screamed "CALL THE POLICE!!!!" Meanwhile this mexican gentleman still refused to stop. Apparently this scarred the SH**T out of the office attendant, as he went into lock-down mode and got on the phone to the transit police. THis mexican guy was mere steps from boarding a train and escaping forever.
In a moment of desperation, I blocked his route to the trains. Not once did I grab him, but I simple stood in his way. He took another couple cheap shots at me. This guy was a danger to me and others, so I had to STOP HIM! This guy committed assault and battery, and a hate crime. He was fleeing a crime scene
He was waving his hands wildly, and in an instant I managed to grab his wallet that he held loosely in one hand. I ran to office attendent to give him the wallet and keep this guy at the station until the police could arrive. The attendant refused to take the wallet, so I held it while standing a few feet from the mexican guy. I figured this was a better strategy than trying to follow this guy around town. This was my only option to avoid bodily harm, and keep this individual for leaving a crime scene.
Well, in front of the station attendant, the mexican guy went into "victim mode". The guy claimed that he had done nothing wrong. He said that I called him racist names and stole his wallet. He said I made fun of his accent. None of this was of course true. I had been struck repeatedly by him and anther principle, and called stupid american and other epitaths.
When the police arrived, I was interrogated. I was told that I had committed a felony by taking his wallet. I was told that my testimony would not be believed--despite showing him my beer-soaked clothing. The office attendant saw the mexicn man refusing to stop when asked to wait for the police. And still I was a felon.
Guess what? This mexican guy who attacked me was placed in hand-cuffs. The reason: public intoxication and NOT BECAUSE HE ATTACKED ME FOR BEING WHITE.
Now, I'm expecting the worse. La Raza will certainly be involved here at some point. The police officer told me that the DA would never press charges of an assault and hate crime. If anything, I will be charged with something soon.
I WAS TOLD BY THE POLICE THAT I SHOULD HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING BECAUSE NOW THE GANGS WOULD BE COMING AFTER ME.
I plan on contacting the district attorney, and demand the city treat this as a hate crime. If they dont, I will file charges that my civil rights have been violated. If you know a civil rights lawyer, please contact me.
Keep this in mind. A couple people in the gang that attacked me, seemed reluctant to have been involved in the attack. They seemed like ok guys, and they wanted no part of the fall-out, so this is not intended to be anti-mexican.
If you are a victim of a hate crime, realize that this is a very small minority of mexicans. I will keep everyone updated as events unfold.
Source: http://www.saveourstate.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12668
In this sort of situation, would you have drawn your weapon if carrying? Fired on attacker(s)? Taken another avenue of response? If so, what and why?
