Sunday, September 2, 2012

Assault with a Knife

I'm not sure what's going on with this summer.  Awhile back, I was assaulted with by my idiot-of-a-teenage-delinquent-neighbor, who pulled a rifle against me.  He definitely has anger issues, as his mama just dropped him off one day, not wanting him anymore.  His father's been in jail and may be there again. 

He fears me for whatever reason.  Anyone who's met me knows I'm only 5'3"-5'4".  I'm not very threatening looking at all, but he pulled a gun out on me when I was backing out my Z3.  I guess the symbol of status and power also enraged him; I could see it on his face.  But if I could tell him something, it would be that he needs to work hard and have character to have a good life instead of smoking out and drinking bier everyday. But what do you expect from a kid from such a dysfunctional family?

Oh - then there was the series of hacker attacks against both my gmail accounts and my phone.  I managed to fix all those.

But last Friday, I went to Starbucks in Baldwin Park at Baldwin Park Blvd.  It was 10pm.  I went inside to use my computer to go on the net.  I felt a bit chilly.  I went outside and noticed someone standing near my Z3.  I noticed a too was being used close to the hood.  I ran to it.

I saw a chollo (Mexican gangster) looking guy on a bicycle trying to pry off my hood emblem.  I said, "HEY!  What are you doing?'

He said, "Nothing" with a devilish grin like a kid caught doing something bad.

I said, "What do you mean nothing?!"

He brandished a three inch knife in his left hand and said, "You better back off mother f()*&(*&!"

I look at the knife.  My heartbeat doesn't elevate.  Instead, I think.  I tell myself, Ok Paul, the knife is short.  Not deadly.  If he comes towards you, disarm the left arm.  But first, hold up your hands in surrender and say, "Sorry, sorry" - to trick him.  Bum rush.  Close the gap between him and you and then hammer punch his nose in, get his wrist in a grip, and turn him around and break his elbow.  You know what to do.  (Some basics of a combination of krav maga and training from 3 years of Judo). 

But he says, like a chicken puffing up his feathers, "That's what I thought."  He rides his bicycle towards the East.  He essentially runs off, while I hold my ground. 

I call the police.  The girls in Starbucks are freaking out.  They're saying, "Oh him.  He was bicycling around Starbucks for hours and staring at us."

The Baldwin Park Police, as usual are useless.  They take a report and then the five officers just shoot the breeze and talk about where they can get the best coffee at this time.  I just wanted to tell the police, is this how you would want an officer to behave if I was your son or daughter?  Maybe, I should have said that.  It's like these people forget their basic job duties: protect and serve.

Here's what I found most interesting about the whole ordeal.  Before the police have their coffee chat, they did find a Mexican male with a shaved head on the bicycle.  They ask me to ID him.  I honestly couldn't tell if that was him or not.  They really both looked alike.  Same color bicycle and style too.  He had facial hair in a similar way that the other guy did.  I grew up in a Hispanic Community.  You would think I would be able to do a facial recognition.  But I can't.

I only know that's not the guy because he's wearing jeans and the other guy was wearing shorts.  That, I remember.  He also doesn't have the black jacket on.  But by looking at his face, I can't tell.  And I have a duty to tell the truth, even though a part of me is raging to have this idiot caught by the police.  It's so easy to say, "This is the guy."  I would accuse an innocent person without meaning to and potentially destroy his life.

Previously, I found out difficult to understand how someone could falsely ID someone.  Now, I was in a predicament where I understood.

I tell the officers - "I don't think it's him.  The guy was wearing shorts."  The police let him go and can't be bothered continuing their search.

I'm left with two questions and a scenario I replay in my mind.  The first question is why would someone do something so stupid for a $20 emblem?

 I know I can get flack for saying this, but I'm saying the truth anyways.  Why do Mexicans (yes, I mean from Mexico there is no country called Hispania) in this area have such a similar style?  I mean, if you told the Officer, baggy shorts, shaved head, tattoo (somewhere), and on a bicycle they could apprehend a handful of people in Baldwin Park at that time.  I just don't get why that gangsta look is so popular if it could lead you to be targeted.

The last scenario I replay is me actually bum rushing him, breaking his elbow, and smashing his skull and nose in for his stupidity.  I wonder what would have actually happened had I attempted that.  I won't know, as he ran away.  I do think about it though.  Would that have been the better option?  Would it have been the right thing to do?  Would I have got hurt?  I don't know.

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