somebody getting assaulted...what would you do?

morganedge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BODWUohtXHo

vax2002

The Whip Hand is upon us.

mttylad

Gang members carry knives & worse, stepping in is just putting yourself in line for being stabbed these days.

If it was 1 on one then maybe I may step in but not when there is a gang of them.

wellused

Call the police and be a witness what is happening, I knew a man who intervened when he saw two men assaulting another man when he did so the man being attacked ran away leaving him to be assaulted by the two attackers on his own.

naz101

wellused wrote: »

Call the police and be a witness what is happening, I knew a man who intervened when he saw two men assaulting another man when he did so the man being attacked ran away leaving him to be assaulted by the two attackers on his own.

nice........

persa

naz101 wrote: »

This was in a moderately busy city centre during the sales.

TBH, in which case, I would probably have told another bystander to call the police, then run to the nearest shop to look for a security guard and/or ask the sales assistants if they could contact one. (In that kind of location, I would expect there to be some sort of guarding arrangement in place.)

However, if the location had been more isolated and/or the victims had been more vulnerable than myself (e.g. young children rather than a grown man and a boy), it becomes harder to say what I would have done. Whilst I don't have much of a maternal instinct, I don't think I could watch someone attacking a small child, I think heart would override head and I would do something stupid and wade in.

It all comes down to fight or flight though - you have to be in the situation before you know how you would truly react. You hope you would do the 'right' thing, whatever that thing was, however you can't really know in advance.

scheming_gypsy

persa wrote: »

then run to the nearest shop to look for a security guard and/or ask the sales assistants if they could contact one. (In that kind of location, I would expect there to be some sort of guarding arrangement in place.)

what would you expect the security guard to do that you couldn't? they don't have any special 'police like' powers or immunity from assault charges, they're just there to make sure somebody doesn't shoplift from the place that employs them.
They also probably can't leave their post to go and break up fights in the street.

tinktinktinkerbell

naz101 wrote: »

This post isnt to start a fight or start an arguement. I am honestly curious.

My mum was out shopping today when a gang of about 12 boys/men started to beat the cr!p out of 2 other boys/men. This was in a moderately busy city centre during the sales.
She said almost everyone turned a blind eye to what was going on apart from one shorter older man intervened and managed to get the 2 boys off the ground. One of the boys was bleeding heavily from the ear from what looked like a bite. They crossed the road and the gang followed and started beating them again. This time 3-4 younger men intervened and stopped it.

Now she said to me she was shocked that most people kept walking and how that wasnt right. When I asked her why she didnt do anything (I was just trying to make a point) she said she was too scared they would start on her.

My question is:

What would people do in that situation?
1) help
2) walk away

I have to admit I would probably not interfere but would call the police. I would be too scared that as a lone female (although in this case it doesnt really matter) I probably could defend myself against all of them.

What would everyone else do?

i would walk away, sorry but im not going to risk being attacked, hurt or even killed

Valli

Haven't a clue - I hope I would do the right thing - ie intervene and 'help' but dunno. Was going to say that my personal experience suggests I would go into a blind panic then I remembered what I did when a lowlife tried to snatch my purse - I made such a FUSS that she dropped the purse back into my bag - then I was so angry that I continued making a fuss - at the TOP of my voice; told the SA's what was happening - result was the 'ladies' were followed, caught and subsequently tried and convicted (on account of the fact they had quite a few purses about their persons) - but I was so ANGRY!
So depends whether I'm angry or scared....

and, on a side note, a MASSIVE thanks to the health staff who work over xmas; including the paramedics/ambulance drivers.

ukjoel

Think getting your phone out and recording it is best option.
Once they are on camera its a lot harder for them to claim they werent doing anything wrong.

Problem is you dont know what happened 2 minutes earlier ie has group A nicked something from group B?

As previous posters have said sods law you will get blamed or done for assault and if in doubt the police will just arrest anyone and then you are at risk of being charged with assault.

You wont be able to fight off 12 of them but the minute they realise they are on camera they wont hang around. There is a risk they will try and nab your camera phone but by then lots of people will probably be recording and also you then have a much stronger case for defending yourself than just wading in to a fight.