Good Samaritan Stops Attack on Elderly Man in San Francisco's Chinatown

GROUND WHEN TRAFFIC WAS AT A DEAD STOP. >>> A MAN IS IN JAIL TODAY AFTER WITNESSES SAY HE ASSAULTED AN ELDERLY ASIAN MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINATOWN. IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AND IT'S THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF ATTACKS INVOLVING ASIAN-AMERICAN VICTIMS. BUT THIS ONE HAS A TWIST. A GOOD SAMARITAN NOT ONLY STOPPED THE ATTACK BUT HELD THE SUSPECT UNTIL POLICE COULD ARRIVE. HERE'S NBC BAY AREA'S ROBERT HANDA. >> Reporter: WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE MAKE IT A POINT TO BE A CONSTANT PRESENCE HERE IN CHINATOWN. BUT OFFICERS CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME. FORTUNATELY FOR AN ELDERLY ASIAN MAN WHO WAS UNDER ATTACK A GOOD SAMARITAN COWBOY WAS AROUND TO RESPOND. >> I MIGHT SMILE FOR YOU GUYS. >> Reporter: THIS CHEERFUL 24-YEAR-OLD DARREN MARK STALKOP CALLS HIMSELF A COWBOY LIVING IN CHINATOWN. THE ASPIRING COLLEGE STUDENT SAYS HE RUSHED OUT OF HIS APARTMENT YESTERDAY MORNING AFTER HEARING PEOPLE SCREAMING IN FEAR. >> AND I SEE A VERY YOUNG GUY BEATING UP A VERY OLD MAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WATCHING. >> Reporter: AT FIRST DARREN SAYS THE ATTACKER FLED BUT AS PEOPLE TRIED TO HELP THE BLOODIED VICTIM THE MAN CAME BACK. >> BEFORE I COULD EVEN PULL OUT MY PHONE THE GUY CAME BACK AROUND A SECOND TIME. THIS TIME AT FULL SPRINT WITH LIKE THE CRAZIEST LOOK IN HIS EYE. I REMEMBER SCREAMING AT HIM DURING THE FIGHT WHILE I WAS BEAR HUGGING HIM. I WAS YELLING AT HIM. I WAS TELLING HIM THAT THE GUY, THE OLD MAN HE WAS ATTACKING WAS ACTUALLY HIS BROTHER AND THAT LOVE WAS THE ANSWER. >> Reporter: DARREN SAYS THE MAN DID NOT ANSWER BUT STRUGGLED UNTIL POLICE ARRIVED AND ARRESTED HIM. POLICE TELL US THE MAN IS NOW IN CUSTODY AND AWAITING CHARGES OF ASSAULT. DARREN, THE FOUNDER OF A BAY AREA GROUP WORLD PEACE MOVEMENT, SAYS HE TALKED BRIEFLY WITH THE VICTIM, WHO THANKED HIM. THE GOOD SAMARITAN IS HUMBLED BY ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES CALLING HIM A HERO. >> I WAS JUST DOING WHAT ANY GOOD MAN WOULD DO, AND HOPEFULLY IF ANY OF YOU SAW SOMEBODY ATTACKING AN ELDERLY PERSON YOU MIGHT TRY TO DO SOMETHING TO STOP THEM. >> Reporter: DARREN IS QUICK TO EMPHASIZE THAT ONLOOKERS DO NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS BEFORE JUMPING INTO A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION. TRY TO CALL POLICE FIRST. BUT HE ALSO POINTS OUT ANYONE CAN GET INVOLVED BY SHOUTING TO MAKE THEIR PRESENCE KNOWN OR RECORDING THE INCIDENT ON A CELL PHONE

Channel: NBC Bay Area

Views: 316,736

Keywords: San Francisco, Good Samaritan, Attack, Anti-Asian Attack, Chinatown, San Francisco's Chinatown, Bay Area news

Id: 9kK2vaCx2gA

Length: 2min 10sec (130 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 20 2021