I went out for supper with my friend last night. We were going into the restaurant when we passed a dispute in the lobby between boyfriend and girlfriend. The girl was crumpled up on the floor crying while the guy was swearing at her calling her “bitch” and so forth. I was worried for her safety and went up to him and told him that if became violent I would call the police. He proceeded to deck me right in the jaw!
I remember seeing stars and some large guy ran in and chased him off. I didn’t hit him back or even try to. The police were called in and took statements. What sucked is that the guy and his girlfriend collaborated on their story and so the cop basically urged me to drop it since their storys were more consistent then mine. There was video footage and I can go view it if I want in a few days. I’m convinced though to just drop it, the hassle is not worth the effort.
I tried to help out but I guess I should of just called the police instead of confronting him. My jaw is sore but I’m sure it’ll heal just fine. It was like 7:00 PM. I’m trying not to lose faith in people, but there are some real jerks out there. Hopefully anyone reading this makes a smarter decision than me. Still I’ve had a few incidents in my life where bad shit was happening around me and I did nothing. I always felt bad. At least this time I tried to do the right thing.
No good deed goes unpunished. I share your pain, literally. I too have been socked for not minding my own business. Unless I see someone in mortal danger (and there’s little chance of me joining them) I mind my own business now. It sucks but that how it goes.
Yeah, I commend you for trying to protect that girl. Who knows, maybe at some point she’ll look back on your behavior and it will help her realize that not all guys are worthless creeps like this one is.
If the video clearly shows the assault, it might be worth pursuing. I’d feel safer knowing that thug was in jail instead of in the same apartment complex.
I didn’t hit him and he hit me first. That would pretty much put me in the right correct? I never hit him. Is it worth pursuing you think? I mean it’s gonna be a hassle in my already busy life, and I already have gotten a sore jaw for my trouble. Maybe people get what they deserve? I don’t know…it seems like it’s something she has to deal with.
So let’s say you pursue it and press criminal charges; unless the guy has significant priors the most he’s probably going to get is a few days in the local gaol, more likely pled down to disturbing the peace and time served. Since he didn’t do any permanent injury to you or your reputation, you have basically no case for compensatory damages in a tort. As for the woman, she seems to have built her bed; having worked with battered women (self-defense and assertiveness class offered to a womens’ shelter) I can tell you that most women who are with jerks choose to be there, will defend that choice and the actions of the man under stress, and most only leave when children are seriously threatened. It’s not as if you are going to ride to her rescue.
As for hotheads in general, I work under the general assumption that sooner or later they’ll come into contact with another hothead, and the confluence of jackassedry will serve to at least temporarily reduce the number of atavistic people wandering around without any involvement by me or risk to my delicate complexion. I’d prefer to be three blocks away in a quiet bar sipping my whiskey while this is happening if at all possible.
Which isn’t to say that you did anything wrong other than stand within striking distance of the bloke at hand. Next time, stand at least three strides away and preferably next to something that you can get a good swinging arc with. Or better yet, just tell the management and let the bouncer (if it is a bar or a club) deal with it; those guys typically love to stomp on jackasses who are nasty to women.
If it was me I think I’d pursue it if the tape bore me out. I’d want to show people like that their actions have consequences and they can’t just lie them away. Also I’d think of it as a public service. People like that are a general menace.
I agree also (press charges if the tape supports it) and commend Quasimodal for standing up and taking action, even though it seems the distressed damsel didn’t appreciate it. Too few people do that enough.
Just Wednesday, I saw a kid about to step off the curb, as a car pulled around some stopped cars and speed up, going hell for leather. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Don’t know if the car would have been able to stop or would have hit him at all, or if the kid would have turned his head in time.
All that and a possible pervert charge be damned; I was gratified by the kid’s “Thanks.”
It’s just not your place nor your responsibility to break up strangers fighting in a building you don’t own. You are not a hero, and you are not going to fix the world. Hopefully, you learned that lesson well. Next time, the person could have a knife or a gun.
Why would you even threaten to call the cops instead of just calling them?
I had no one to back up my claims. I don’t really understand what he meant when he said I was inconsistent.
As to you Rigamarole, all I can say is hindsight is 20/20. I saw a woman crumpled on the floor with an aggressive person swearing at her. I never said I was a hero and I already said I would do things differently next time. In the rush of the moment I thought I could just warn him…obviously I was wrong. I’m still glad I did something. I mean if that was your daughter there how would you feel?
Quasi, you have far more self-restraint than I do. Anyone who lobbed a punch at me like that guy did to you would be counting his teeth in about 15 seconds.
And if he’d already demonstrated himself to be a menace and abusive to others (especially his girlfriend!) he’d likely end up breathing through a tube. The consequences be damned.
Are you so sure of your physical prowess that after seeing stars from just getting punched in the jaw, that the other guy is moments away from having you knock his teeth out?
I will say I’m not much of a fighter. I didn’t want anything to escalate. In all honesty I thought the punch came out of nowhere. I wasn’t being threatening or making any serious gestures. But I guess I learned that these kind of people are borderline animal. You never know what might happen.
That is the most selfish statement I have ever seen on the dope. Just because you don’t know the person, you feel you have no responsibility to help them?
Because the person had yet to commit a crime?
I don’t question that the response of the OP was not the best, but you seem to be implying that not responding at all would have been better. And, again, I find that to be quite selfish.