It started as I was walking to work down Market Street. I was a
couple blocks away from work when a young man, about 30 with a goatee
and sketchy half-finished tattoos, went past me on a long skateboard.
Uncool, I thought at the time. The sidewalk along market is very
wide, but made of brick. And there is lots of foot traffic.
This young man was not going super fast but he was jumping his board
(for fun I assume) over any metal grate, steam vent, etc. He lost
control at the intersection, almost fell, and his board would've been
crushed by traffic except it took a lucky bounce and went along the
gutter. He went on, through the red light.
About half a block later I saw him again, this time with his
skateboard raised over his head, with about three black men yelling
something at each other. He took a swipe at them with the skateboard.
I called 911 on my cel phone only to get a recording by the highway
patrol. Meanwhile, a bunch of young black men across the street (near
the police station on Jones Street!) started yelling.
Then, "Whap!" and the young men across the street gave a chorus of,
"oh!' as if they were watching a boxing match. Suddenly, as if a
collected conscious took over, they took off running across Market
Street as the man with the skateboard was taking off in the other
direction. I didn't see if they caught up to him, but I don't see how
he could've gotten away.
I went up to the man on the street, who despite there being a crowd
of people, was alone. He was lying in a doorway with a bloody goose
egg bump on the back of his head, which was bald with a ring of white
hair. He was well dressed. I put my hand on his back and told him
help was on the way. I think he was out but his eyes were open and
rolled back. I tried to call 911 again with the same results.
Recording from the Highway Patrol.
I'm sure both men are in the hospital last night.
I'm beginning to have second thoughts about my healthy decision to
walk to work everyday...
1 comment:
very scary stuff! What's with the 911?
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