I was walking to Panera Bread in Silver Spring, MD last Friday morning around 8:30 when I started to hear a couple fighting. As I approached the couple I could see it was a guy about 6/6’1 and a woman about 5’3 screaming at each other. The woman was saying things such “I don’t want to be your girl anymore – get it through your head!” and the guy looked like he was intoxicated and very angry. He was slurring his speech and I couldn’t really understand him. They were near a bus stop where people were sitting and it was starting to disturb the public. The guy being so aggressive scared me and so I called 911 because I was afraid he was going to hurt her. As I was on the phone  (a decent distance away from them) the guy grabbed the woman’s arm and bit her.

The woman struggled to get her arm free, started crying and he kept trying to grab her. She ran into the middle of Georgia Ave rush hour traffic (fortunately the cars stopped) into the median and guy ran after her. I communicated all of this to the person on the phone. They were back at the bus stop screaming at each other when I rounded the corner to thankfully see a police officer. I went over to him and said “Please go over to the bus stop there is a couple fighting, the guy assaulted the woman and they are running out into the street and just generally being disruptive, please go over.” Since there wasn’t much else I could do, I grabbed some food and on my way back saw the couple talking to the police officer. The woman still looked upset and was probably telling her side of the story. A bus came and the officers let her go and kept the guy at the bus stop.

It was very upsetting and I have no idea what the long term outcome will be, but I was glad that at least in that instance I could have someone assist a woman who is being assaulted. There is no need to standby and let these things happen, you don’t have to get directly involved, but there is no harm in trying to help.

Submitted by AK

Do you have a story you would like to submit? Just click here and fill out the online submission form. All stories will be posted anonymously unless you specify.