Robbed
I was on my way to meet up with Derrick tonight to play some poker. I was only a block and half away from the North Berkeley BART stop when this fellow ran up behind me, placed his hand around my neck and demanded my wallet. Yes, I was the victim of a strong-arm robbery. Luckily the asshole did not have a weapon, just a good choke hold. After resisting for a minute (and a failed attempt at punching his nuts) I was beginning to get light headed from the inability to breathe. So, I finally gave him my cash, but not my wallet (I do not want to have to go replace all of that). He then ran, yelling "I didn't want to have to do this".
I immediately called 911. While waiting for the operator a Good Samaritan ran up to me, asked if I was robbed, and then where the guy fled. He then attempted to follow the fucker. After waiting five minutes for an operator, I finally described the assailant and the area, the operator said they would dispatch an officer to my location. I assumed they would take a police report and be on their way.
In about five minutes a police car pulls up, verifies the description of the assailant and informs me they are currently tracking someone! They ask if I would try to identify the suspect, I agreed of course. They then asked me to get in their car. On the way to the scene where they were tracking the guy, we stopped, and the officer took a full report. During that time I saw a number of police vehicles drive by, I assumed they were searching for the guy. After about half an hour, the officer informed me they had a suspect within a couple block radius and were in the process of taking him into custody. Eventually the officer drove me up to where they captured the guy.
I noticed about ten police cars where in the immediate area! The officer parked the car about 50 feet from the suspect, I was pretty sure it was him, but asked to get a little closer. The officer obliged. I made a positive identification, and they hauled his ass off to jail. Unfortunately he had no money on him; the police officers said he probably dropped the money during the pursuit. In my mind this made me begin to question my identification, but the jacket, hair, and face were the same, I could not have been that wrong. The officer then drove me back to the North Berkeley BART station and said the district attorney would contact me if they needed more information. I thanked the officer, and was on my way to meet Derrick.
Interesting, during the assault, I was not afraid, rather I was angry. Had the guy had a weapon, my response may have been different. I am happy the fucker was caught, but I really do not know what to feel or think. I am not sure if I should be scared, angry, happy, depressed, or what. I have never been the victim of a crime like this. To some extent I am angry at myself. I saw the guy out of the corner of my, and then he started to run, but it was the middle of the day in a nice part of Berkeley, so I kept my pace. Maybe I should have started running? Something in me clicked that the situation was wrong, but I did not react till he had grabbed me. I wish I listened to myself and reacted sooner.
All I know at this point is I am thankful the Berkeley PD caught the fucker. I doubt many other victims are also so lucky to have their assailants caught, especially in less than one hour after the crime. In the end I was phyiscally uninjured, robbed of $60 or $80 and an undetermined amount of emotional peace of mind.
I immediately called 911. While waiting for the operator a Good Samaritan ran up to me, asked if I was robbed, and then where the guy fled. He then attempted to follow the fucker. After waiting five minutes for an operator, I finally described the assailant and the area, the operator said they would dispatch an officer to my location. I assumed they would take a police report and be on their way.
In about five minutes a police car pulls up, verifies the description of the assailant and informs me they are currently tracking someone! They ask if I would try to identify the suspect, I agreed of course. They then asked me to get in their car. On the way to the scene where they were tracking the guy, we stopped, and the officer took a full report. During that time I saw a number of police vehicles drive by, I assumed they were searching for the guy. After about half an hour, the officer informed me they had a suspect within a couple block radius and were in the process of taking him into custody. Eventually the officer drove me up to where they captured the guy.
I noticed about ten police cars where in the immediate area! The officer parked the car about 50 feet from the suspect, I was pretty sure it was him, but asked to get a little closer. The officer obliged. I made a positive identification, and they hauled his ass off to jail. Unfortunately he had no money on him; the police officers said he probably dropped the money during the pursuit. In my mind this made me begin to question my identification, but the jacket, hair, and face were the same, I could not have been that wrong. The officer then drove me back to the North Berkeley BART station and said the district attorney would contact me if they needed more information. I thanked the officer, and was on my way to meet Derrick.
Interesting, during the assault, I was not afraid, rather I was angry. Had the guy had a weapon, my response may have been different. I am happy the fucker was caught, but I really do not know what to feel or think. I am not sure if I should be scared, angry, happy, depressed, or what. I have never been the victim of a crime like this. To some extent I am angry at myself. I saw the guy out of the corner of my, and then he started to run, but it was the middle of the day in a nice part of Berkeley, so I kept my pace. Maybe I should have started running? Something in me clicked that the situation was wrong, but I did not react till he had grabbed me. I wish I listened to myself and reacted sooner.
All I know at this point is I am thankful the Berkeley PD caught the fucker. I doubt many other victims are also so lucky to have their assailants caught, especially in less than one hour after the crime. In the end I was phyiscally uninjured, robbed of $60 or $80 and an undetermined amount of emotional peace of mind.