Thugs bash big man in back of head with 'metal' object on San Francisco street, knock him down. But he gets up, throws a punch — and the thugs turn into sissies.



A pair of thugs got a pre-Halloween scare Sunday night after bashing a 6-foot-2 man in the back of his head on a San Francisco street with what the victim later described as a "metal" object.

Sure, the impact knocked Richard Titus to the ground — and left a significant wound that required five staples to close it — but he got up and punched one of the attackers, after which they likely figured they'd lose this fight and ran away.

What are the details?

Titus told KPIX-TV he had just parked his car in the area of Sutter and Baker Streets and took a short walk to a friend's home around 9:30 p.m.

"I was walking up the street, minding my own business, I heard some footsteps behind me, and then suddenly 'bam' — I got hit in the back of the head with something metal [and] went down on all fours," he told the station. "When I got up, I turned around, there were two assailants. One holding a bar and one not. The one not holding something was closer to me, so I took a swing at him."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Titus was more specific with KRON-TV, chuckling as he recounted that "I punched him, as you do."

KRON added that Titus believes his reaction surprised his attackers, scaring them enough to run away. KPIX said he believes the suspects may have been after his rare wristwatch. It's a 1968 Rolex Daytona, according to KRON.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

What happened next?

"I didn't actually realize how bad the injury was, and standing on a street corner in the cold, my head was hurting, I was bleeding," Titus told KPIX. "I just wanted to get home and bandage my head and go to bed."

He didn't call 911 because he said he was expecting a delayed police response, KPIX said.

The next day — Halloween — Titus went to a hospital to get checked out, KPIX said, adding that he suffered a severe concussion and needed five staples in the back of his head.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

What's more, he's left with fragmented memories surrounding the attack, KPIX said, and is expecting to need several weeks of recovery time.

Hospital staff called police to take a report, but no one showed up during his 10-hour stay, KPIX said, adding that city police later told Titus to go into the police station and complete the report.

"I was disappointed they didn't come for the police report," he told KPIX.

Eventually an officer visited him Tuesday afternoon to finish the report at the residence where he's currently staying, KPIX said — but Titus added to the station that he believes the visit happened because of social media attention on the attack.

"I'd like to see some action from law enforcement and the city," he told KPIX. "I think there needs to be a tighter relationship between the mayor's office and the enforcement, and the third thing is I'd like criminals to be held to account."

TheBlaze has extensively covered the increase in San Francisco crime over the past few years — which has resulted in some unbelievable reactions and led businesses to close up shop and residents to move out.

'It feels more menacing'

"I always felt safe in San Francisco, even in the dangerous years, 15 years ago," Titus noted to KPIX. "But even before this experience, it feels more menacing, and the police response seems slower."

He added to KRON that "I’ve never been mugged before, I’ve definitely never been assaulted before by strangers. It felt a little scary given I’m in the city I love."

Anything else?

Titus told KRON his attackers have a darker complexion and wore hoodies; one had a baseball cap. He added to KPIX that they are around five feet tall.

Police told KPIX they're investigating the incident, and while no arrests have been made, anyone with information can anonymously call the police tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.

Titus also told KPIX he was sober during the entire incident and that he's been sober for the last 30 years.

Entrepreneur assaulted in San Francisco issues warning to always be alertyoutu.be

'Shoot me!' Gutsy woman stands up to armed punk who demands her keys — telling him 'No!' and actually daring him to pull the trigger



A Washington, D.C., woman was caught on surveillance video standing up to an armed would-be robber who demanded her keys last Tuesday, flatly telling him "No!" and daring him to pull the trigger.

"Shoot me!" she commanded the masked gunman.

He eventually left the scene without firing a shot, and Iris Bond Gill told WTTG-TV all about her harrowing ordeal.

What are the details?

Bond Gill parked her vehicle just after 3:20 p.m. Aug. 23 and was standing on 10th Street NE looking through her purse when the hooded suspect approached her.

Clearly startled, Bond Gill screamed at the sight of the armed male, throwing her dark bag and dropping her red purse on the street before putting her hands up.

Image source: WTTG -TV video screenshot

But an instant later, Bond Gill got downright confrontational, hollering "What the f***!" and walking toward the gunman.

She told WTTG the would-be crook called her an expletive, ordered her to turn over her keys, and insisted, "I’ll shoot you."

But Bond Gill is heard on the clip defiantly telling the crook, "No!" and adding a challenge while staring him down in the street: "Shoot me!"

Image source: WTTG -TV video screenshot

Soon the suspect backs up and begins to move away as Bond Gill claps her hands and appears to holler at the gunman. He then moves toward Bond Gill again, points at her, and even raises his gun at her, apparently pretending to shoot as she flinches.

But Bond Gill won the standoff, and the crook took off for good.

Image source: WTTG -TV video screenshot

'I went into almost a chastising mode'

"I’ve seen the video, and to be honest, I saw a young man in front of me [like] a lot of young people I’ve worked with over the years," Bond Gill explained to the station, noting she's worked in the education field for many years. "And in some way, I think I went into almost a chastising mode with him as well."

Image source: WTTG -TV video screenshot

She added to WTTG that she's not encouraging others to react the way she did, only emphasizing that it was her gut reaction, and she believes in trusting your gut.

"You know, it’s really complicated to think about now. I don’t exactly remember, but I know – I knew I was in danger," Bond Gill added to the station. "And so I just threw off my bag and just prepared to be confrontational."

Anything else?

When WTTG asked Bond Gill what she hopes people will take away from her scary encounter, she replied, "We need stronger communities. You see the suspect back away when a car comes, but no one stopped to help or was really able to intervene."

"I think there’s power in community in many ways, and I think one, you know, we can advocate for more lights and more cameras and certainly community policing is a part of that and boots on the ground. But it was actually a camera in someone’s house. And it was a car that drove by, that was not driven by anyone official — but just an individual that sort of scared him off," she explained to the station. "Gone are the days of having older neighbors that sat on the porch all day and watched and waved to you when you got home from work. I think in some ways, trying to think about how to preserve this intergenerational neighborhood is so valuable. We’ve lost so much of that in the city with massive displacement. So, I think just having more people around that know each other and that support each other would be really helpful."

Bond Gill also told WTTG she hopes others remember the importance of situational awareness, adding that she was distracted while rummaging through her purse when the suspect approached.

D.C. police told the station no arrests have been made yet.

(H/T: The Police Tribune)

Video: Good Samaritan yanks gun from hooded motorcycle rider trying to rob limping man who repeatedly hollers, 'Help!' on NYC sidewalk



Cellphone video caught the moment a man ran up to an apparent robbery in progress in broad daylight on a New York City sidewalk over the weekend — and yanked a gun right out of the hands of the motorcycle-riding assailant, the New York Post reported.

What are the details?

The paper said two suspects were riding on a motorcycle and chasing a 28-year-old pedestrian before cornering the victim in front of the La Ruleta Meat Market at Nagle Avenue and Arden Street in Fort George around 4:45 p.m. Saturday, the paper said, citing police and video posted to Instagram.

The victim was limping before the crooks caught up to him, video shows.

One suspect wearing a blue hoodie, who appeared to be riding in the rear position of the motorcycle, was holding a gun in his left hand as he grabbed the victim, the Post said.

The suspect punched the victim and appeared to try to grab something off his neck, the paper said. The victim screamed “help!” six times, video shows.

Police said the suspect fired at the victim but missed, the Post reported.

Help is on the way

Video then shows the good Samaritan running toward the scene from behind and going right for the suspect's gun, after which the gunman punched the good Samaritan in the head, the paper said.

But the good Samaritan managed to pull the crook from the motorcycle and eventually wrestled the gun from his hands, the Post said.

The suspect was able to get back on the motorcycle before the other crook — dressed in a dark hoodie — drove the duo away from the scene as the good Samaritan gave chase to no avail.

Here's the Instagram video:

The Post reported that the victim of the attempted-robbery suffered minor injuries, and emergency medical personnel took him to a local hospital.

No arrests have been made, the paper added.

What did observers have to say?

Commenters on the Instagram video were decidedly pleased with the good Samaritan's actions:

  • "Hero right there," one commenter wrote.
  • "REAL MVP," another commenter said.
  • "He defended that poor guy who yelled help," another commenter observed.
  • "Citizens protecting citizens," another commenter pointed out.
  • "Let's go," another commenter declared, "about time."

Anything else?

Police said the incident took place hours after two men on a motorcycle tried to steal jewelry from a woman near the Guggenheim Museum, the Post reported, adding that the woman fought off the passenger attempting the crime, and the pair fled.

Store worker shot in leg after co-worker wrestles robber for gun. But when weapon falls to floor, wounded worker grabs it and shoots gunman in gut.



A Baltimore cellphone store employee turned the tables on a robber who shot him in the leg last week through an unlikely turn of events which included the victim grabbing the robber's gun from the floor and using it to shoot him in the gut.

What went down?

Investigators said a customer walked into the Metro PCS Store in the 5400 block of Sinclair Lane around 1:25 p.m. Tuesday seeking customer service, WJZ-TV reported.

But after store employees said they couldn't assist him, police said the customer departed the store and returned a short time later with a handgun and announced a robbery, WJZ said.

With that, one of the store's employees wrestled the suspect for the gun, the station reported, adding that a second store employee was shot in the leg after the gun discharged.

Police told WJZ the gun fell to the floor, after which the wounded employee allegedly picked it up and shot the suspect in the abdomen.

When cops arrived to the scene, they found two people with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, the station said, adding that both of them were hospitalized.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Radio transmissions the station obtained appeared to indicate the wounded employee is male — and one individual was heard groaning in pain in the background

What happened to the suspect?

The suspect will be charged with attempted armed robbery, reckless endangerment, and various handgun violations after being discharged from the hospital, police told WJZ, which added that the investigation is ongoing.

People fighting back

A week prior to the foiled armed robbery, the station said people tackled a woman and held her down after she allegedly shot someone. The woman had a black eye and bandage on her forehead in her mug shot:

Image source: YouTube screenshot

In the wake of Tuesday's foiled armed robbery, Mayor Brandon Scott told the station he's not surprised by city residents fighting back against crime.

"We want our residents to be safe; we don't want them putting themselves at risk," Scott said. "But we also understand that this is Baltimore, and people take pride in their community and businesses and places where they work."

Baltimore Residents React After Store Employee Fights Back Against Armed Robber.youtu.be