A group of bystanders helped police arrest a man after he assaulted a woman at the intersection of Harrison and 17th streets Monday afternoon. Police told Mission Local that the driver had assaulted another person minutes earlier.
“The man’s motive in [either incident] is yet to be determined,” said Sgt. Kevin Healy, adding that the first incident happened farther north along Harrison Street.
Jacob Shaw, who works at a business near the intersection, said that it’s common to hear drivers honk their horns at 17th and Harrison streets.
“But then we heard a woman screaming, and we ran outside,” he said.
Linda Leery, who was driving through the intersection when the incident happened at about 1:50 p.m. Monday, told Mission Local that she saw the man, who drove a light-blue Jaguar, drive through a stop sign on Harrison Street without stopping.
As he entered the intersection, the victim, who was driving a black Honda CRV and had the right-of-way, also entered the intersection from the east. The two cars stopped before colliding and the woman honked her horn.
According to Peter, an eyewitness who declined to give his last name, the man stopped in front of the woman’s car and backed up to block her.
The man then got out of his car and ran to open the woman’s driver-side door, said Leery. After failing to open the victim’s door, the man tore off one of the Honda CRV’s windshield wipers and was able to open her door. He then beat her between five and 10 times with the wiper, said Leery.
“She was screaming and bleeding, and plastic from the windshield wiper was flying everywhere,” said Leery, who then drove in front of the man’s parked Jaguar in case he tried to flee.
“I’m not going to let you leave,” Leery said to the man.
When a group of bystanders approached the man, he tried to get away. The bystanders were able to stop him before he got into his car, Leery said, and one person took the man’s keys out of the Jaguar.
The group then forced the man to the ground and he stopped struggling. They released him so he could stand, at which point he tried to flee again on foot, said Leery. That’s when they encircled him until police could arrive.
The victim was conscious but bleeding heavily from the face when paramedics helped her into the ambulance.
In the first incident, the driver of the Jaguar injured another male driver’s thumb and gave him a fat lip, Heely said.
I was on my balcony and saw the whole thing.
The small black car was already driving through the four way stop intersection, when the blue jag drove straight through without stopping at the sign. Both cars stopped without colliding. The jag reversed, blocking the small cars exit. There was a lot of beeping.
A tall fat man burst out of the jag and ran at the small car. He tried to open the driver door, but failed. He ripped a windshield wiper from the small car, and somehow managed to open the driver door. He leant into the car and started brutally hitting at the person inside with the wiper. There was a lot of screaming, and the wiper broke into several pieces.
People came from everywhere, and four or five men and one woman pulled him away from the small car. They were very controlled. They lay him on the ground, and restrained him.
One man attended to the driver in the small car.
After a few minutes, he seemed to calm down, and he got up. He then made a break for his car. People attempted to restrain him again, whilst a man took his car keys. He managed to get to his car, and he opened his back door. Then there was a black and white border collie dog running around. The group of men surrounded the jag driver.
He made another break and began to run south down 17th Street. One man tackled him to the ground. The man managed to get up again, and started running west on Harrison Street. The group of men blocked him and surrounded him against a wire fence.
The police, then the fire department, then animal control all turned up. The terrified dog was taken away by animal control.
It was quite incredible watching the crowd of strangers come together to restrain the man. He was clearly crazed, but the people stayed calm. I don’t believe the jag driver would have come away with barely a bruise.
There were a lot of witnesses, but if a statement is required, please let me know.
Denim rules that picture.
well, not to get all vigilante, but the public did a great job taking action and capturing the stupid thug jaguar driver. he’s fortunate that the people were kinder and gentler with him than he deserved. he probably deserved to have that windshield wiper shoved up his rear.
if he gets his deserved punishment, perhaps he’ll still face that in prison.
what a db that guy is.
It was my daughter who was so brutally assaulted. I want to send out a big heartfelt mama hug to all who stepped in and helped in my daughters time of need. You are my heroes and I thank you for potentially putting yourselves in harms way and not just being onlookers. This could have turned out far worse without your intervention. You are standup people.
That Jaguar owner just made the biggest mistake of his life. Your daughter will be well compensated, and that jerk will go to jail. He will get what’s coming to him in jail once they find out he beat up a woman. Even most criminals are not as low as this guy.
I am the young womans mother that was so brutally assaulted. I want to send out a heartfelt giant mama hug to each and every person who stepped in and helped my daughter in her time of need. This guy was on a rampage and without everyones help this could have turned out far worse. You are my heroes and I thank you for potentially putting yourselves in harms way and not just being onlookers.
Oh my goodness!!! Bless your heart and your poor daughter…….This definitely restores ones faith in humanity and makes you believe that there si good in the world. I am so very sorry that your family had to go through this and know that people are sending good thoughts to your daughter.
Ditto. So much thanks to all who helped a stranger in need and to those who stayed around afterwards. Sorry for the owner of the blue jacket used to help stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrived. THANK YOU!!! Thank you to the the ambulance/paramedics who were very attentive and comforting to our daughter, and to Sgt. Healy and the SFPD who responded quickly. and courteous and efficiently.
hey everyone – the woman in question is OK thanks to the braveness of all the bystanders. renews our faith in folks helping other folks in need
I want to buy all of those good citizens some Taco Tonayense! They have 3 taco trucks on Harrison:
All Tonayense taco trucks serve happy customers in San Francisco, CA
1-Harrison St & 14th St
2-Harrison St & 17th St
3-Harrison St & 19th St
http://www.tonayense.com
Right on for the bystanders stepping in and helping out. You don’t hear about that much anymore!!!!
If this guy was a cyclist people would know his name and be demanding his head. But since he is a motorist, well, we see this type of thing over and over in S.F. This city was never designed for the volume of cars we deal with every day. Driving here just makes some people lose their mind.
Yeah. People are really going easy on him. Sharp observation there.
Good work citizens!
??????
Good for them for getting involved. Wowsa.
Road rage!
Wow, hope the Jaguar owner gets what’s coming to him.
Thank you brave neighbors for helping this woman!
The kindness of these strangers totally made my day. There ARE good people in the world! <3