What are the lessons we can learn from this?
There is a whole lot of wrong with this attack:
First, a deliberate targeting and stalking of this woman by two criminals.
Then an ambush of her with a violent body slam on the concrete by the attacker which has left her paralyzed.
Finally, the dangerous criminal is on the streets with two pending cases regarding threatening people with a gun and illegally possessing a gun.
Let’s look at this attack as captured on a surveillance camera.
The brutal attack's origins started as the 44-year old woman withdrew money from a bank ATM.
Little did she realize; she was being watched by two people. These two – A 17-year-old male and his 19-year-old female accomplice -- followed the woman for almost 24 miles before they attacked her.
When the attackers decide the time and the location of the attack, he ambushes the woman. He approaches her directly from the front and grabs her. She instinctively turns and the attacker ends up having her in a rear bearhug.
He pulls on her, causing her to drop the items she’s carrying. He grabs what looks to be her small clutch purse and starts to run off. He stops mid-stride and turns to look back at her as she grabs what appears to be a white envelope and she begins to run.
The attacker apparently realizes the money is in the envelope and he rushes back to grab her again from behind. This time he picks her up and brutally slams her to the concrete sidewalk. He drops the clutch purse, grabs the envelope and runs out of the frame.
It was this violent slam to the ground which fractured the woman’s ribs and broke her spine. The woman is a mother of three children and is now paralyzed and unable to walk or care for herself.
Houston Police arrested the attacker and the female accomplice and charged both with Aggravated Robbery with Serious Bodily Injury.
But guess what?
According to court records, on January 26, 2023, the attacker had been granted a General Order bond of $100 for Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
He also faces charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon related to an incident in February in which he threatened another person with a gun. He is currently being held in the Harris County jail on bonds totaling $240,000.
At this point, why would any reasonable person assume these criminals will be taken off the street with any sort of significant consequences?
Lessons We Can Learn From This Attack
1. We must accept that there are people who want what others have. And these people will resort to violence to take our money, our possessions, and even our lives.
2. We also must accept that the police cannot protect us. We are responsible for our own safety. We always have been. As our society continues to fracture along social, political, and cultural lines it’s becoming obvious that criminals are not dissuaded by the consequences that used to govern social behavior.
3. We can talk about “situational awareness” as much as we want, but when attackers intentionally conceal their designs, we are all susceptible to the surprise ambush. Criminals control the time and the place of the attack.
4. We must train to defend against common attacks – in this case the rear bear hug.
You can get instruction on how to defend against the rear bear hug in Never Defenseless Module 1 now available on Amazon.
You can also see more on our YouTube channel.