What would you have done?

[Tug Boat]

I work downtown Houston, and when I drive to the office, I park in a garage across the street. I received this e-mail from our corporate folks yesterday. The event occurred before I got to the office, but I'm wondering what I would have done if I'd seen the situation. What would you have done?

This morning at about 6:48 am a homeless man decided to lay down across the hood of a car entering the [parking garage]. If that was the end of the incident all would be good, but he got off the hood started arguing with people around him, and next thing I saw he had grabbed a woman and was in front of my car with his hand around her neck. A construction worker got her free without further problems but the disturbance continued as I got my car off the street and into the garage. Please note the police did not arrive until slightly after 7:00, plenty of harm could have taken place in that amount of time, and by that time the person causing the problem was long gone.

Tug Boat

[Beiruty]

Call 911 and keep a good distance from the augmentative homeless.

[A-R]

Call 911 and keep a good distance from the augmentative homeless.

I agree in theory, but arm around neck of apparently innocent woman is difficult to just "call 911" for many folks.

[AlaskanInTexas]

I would have removed his hands from the neck of the woman and then called 911.

[speedsix]

I would have removed his hands from the neck of the woman and then called 911.

[texanron]

I would have removed his hands from the neck of the woman and then called 911.

[Rex B]

...the police did not arrive until slightly after 7:00 ...

When seconds count, police are just minutes away

[mamabearCali]

I can't just sit there and watch a person be strangled to death and just dial 911. I have to vote with the remove his hands from her neck and then call 911. It helps if several people remove his hands from her neck at the same time.

[knotquiteawake]

I would have removed his hands and then called 911.

[PUCKER]

I don't know about you, but someone lays down on my hood, well, they are going to see how fast they can go (and STOP) on the hood of a vette (I'm only sort of joking...as I would consider that quite a threat to my safety)...that's one option...had that happened then the strangulation thing probably wouldn't have happened...oh...you were asking about the after the hood stuff...yeah, I could not watch someone getting the life choked out of them...

[AlaskanInTexas]

I don't know about you, but someone lays down on my hood, well, they are going to see how fast they can go (and STOP) on the hood of a vette

I would have recommended something similar, except my '96 Honda Civic lacks both the acceleration and braking power to remove someone from my hood.

[thatguy]

I would have removed his hands from the neck of the woman and then called 911.

[steveincowtown]

IMHO, I would not have touched the guy. People get super human strength at times from different drugs. Once you make physical contact with someone like this you could be getting into more than you bargained for.

Distraction and deescalation.

[fishman]

I'd remove his hands from her neck, and call 911 and let leo handle it.

[Blindref757]

I'm a little confused. If the perp is unarmed and just has the woman in a choke hold...are you asking if we would draw? Are you guys saying that you would engage in a physical assault and risk the guy being stronger and a better fighter than you...discovering you are armed and using your own gun on you? I'm really not sure what I would do?