A Good Samaritan was shot and wounded in Oakland over the weekend while coming to the aid of robbery victims who were being targeted in broad daylight.
The incident unfolded Saturday afternoon in the city’s Chinatown neighbourhood and left the Good Samaritan – identified by KTVU only as Mr Li – with injuries in the armpit and leg.
“I really wanted to try to de-escalate the situation,” Li, who has since been released from a hospital, told the station. “I wouldn’t call myself a hero. They can call me hero if they want.”
“I just consider myself as trying to help someone in need,” the 27-year-old added. “I’m pretty sure that they really needed help.”
Surveillance video of the incident shows two unidentified men trying to rob a pair of women of their purses as they are strolling on a sidewalk, according to KTVU.
Shots then ring out as a struggle ensues and the Good Samaritan reportedly falls to the ground. The suspects then enter a vehicle idling nearby and flee from the scene, the video shows.
Another man seen struggling with the suspects during the altercation was the boyfriend of one of the women and was pistol-whipped while trying to get her purse back, KGO reports.
“They pulled their shirts up and showed they have guns under their pants,” that man, identified by the station as Mr Chan, told KGO.
As of Tuesday, those suspects have yet to be caught.
