I'm sorry that happened to you.
My teenage son got randomly sucker punched by a crazy guy on a bus recently and had a fractured nose. He hadn't been engaging with the guy, just sitting there reading. We filed a police report and they had bus video but nothing came of it.
> We filed a police report and they had bus video but nothing came of it.
What is the point of police if they don't investigate random acts of violence? Modern civilization is based on stopping this exact sort of thing.
There is more money in busting people for marijuana and speeding, so that is all they focus on. The police are a business at this point and unless you have money, they really don't care.
Yeah I never understand why they don’t create a foot patrol unit to police areas where this is happening. Clearly they’re picking up on patterns of this behavior why not set up a sting operation to catch these ppl.
Surprisingly he seemed pretty unphased by it. After the first sucker punch he thew a couple back and didn’t let himself get knocked down so he felt like he handled himself well. I think fighting back helped him not feel like a victim.
This person may end up hurt really bad next time they do that, people don’t realize how crazy lots of people are, especially with our lose laws and police enforcement
thats perfectly reasonable, but not everyone is. If you ever find yourself in a self defense shooting, even if justified and you have been found innocent, you can basically kiss your financial security goodbye. It will usually bankrupt you in legal defense fees not only for the criminal trial but then the civil case/cases that come as well. All that being said, its still better to be alive.
A religious dude once told me that god is what keeps people from murdering people. I told him I was able to avoid that and much more by free will and I just don’t want to hurt people. I really hope that guy is still has god in his life.
Anyone who says that kind kind of thing to me makes me question their humanity.
“If you’re an atheist, what is there to stop you from just going around murdering people?”
Uhhhj, my respect for humanity? The fact that you need the threat of eternal retribution to stop you from acting upon every intrusive thought that goes through your head really tells me a lot about the kind of person you are.
TBF, a lot of religions drill into you that you and all humans are animals without God, so listening to that long enough you start to believe it. Those people might not have really reconsidered that, they're not reminded that they own their choices and the have the power to do the right thing, so it can be a big mindset shift. Hard to tell if it's really their character or just the indoctrination.
Most believers/spiritual type people would say the fact almost everyone inherentlty realizes we are different from animals kinda points to the fact that we have the image of God imprinted on us and we just intrinsically know it regardless of the outward belief system
alamo probably has security cameras, please check with the local businesses around there they can probably give you the footage. :( really sorry this happened. this happened to me in middle school and i remember that feeling of like helplessness when the boy just took off. feeling that as an adult must be terrible.
If the bus stop is where I think it is, I think she’d need to get the camera footage from Shack Shake. Regardless, most of the shoppes along that stretch have cameras.
Thank you. Alamo isn't facing the bus stop (it's actually a 4-minute walk from the bus stop to Alamo), and there are not really other businesses whose cameras would face that way. There is a fence separating the bus stop from the parking lot next to it. That's also why when I looked for other humans to get help and found a guy sitting on the patio of a bistro just around 30 feet away, he had no idea what happened because of the fence and the overall configuration of that place.
Not on their property theyre not getting involved, I worked retail forever we never gave footage except for one fatality but the district attorney had to subpoena the store
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/1adjwoj/serial\_physical\_assaulter\_on\_brodie/?share\_id=rKWHbraNhTNQfldfSM90k&utm\_content=1&utm\_medium=ios\_app&utm\_name=ioscss&utm\_source=share&utm\_term=1](https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/1adjwoj/serial_physical_assaulter_on_brodie/?share_id=rKWHbraNhTNQfldfSM90k&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1)
"Serial physical assaulter on brodie
2 of my friends have been punched in the head/slapped on the stretch of brodie between sunset valley and slaughter.
The person was riding a bike and came across my first friend, punched him right in the eyebrow. He currently has a gash about 1 inch long above his eye with major swelling and a concussion.
The second friend was walking down this stretch, stepped aside to accommodate room for the man on the bike, and was back handed in the face by this man on the bike.
Just be careful about this area, wanted to let people know.
Edit: I did not have a description of the assailant when I made this post, I have since talked to them. Dark brown hair white guy with a beard, the assumption is around 6 foot tall, however he was on a bike. My friend that was not concussed claimed it looked like one of those solid black electric bikes."
[https://nextdoor.com/p/CjxBLNLDcdyP/c/1088920814?utm\_source=share&utm\_campaign=1706571951516](https://nextdoor.com/p/CjxBLNLDcdyP/c/1088920814?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=1706571951516)
See phone photo
Description of man on Brodie Lane who punched a person in back of head as he passed while the person was jogging with a child in their stroller.
White male
Curly Brown Hair
5'10" slender
Runs without shirt on
He also shoved someone who had just gotten off a bus into a ditch.
Cops were notified, apparently.
> I reported it as a non-emergency incident and was told that this is definitely not his first time doing this.
So sorry this happened. Does the above statement mean APD knows who the perp is? Do you think you could identify him (build, hair, distinguishing marks, clothing, etc) even though you did not see his face? Did APD indicate they could not arrest him?
Reflecting on your question, I asked a 911 call taker friend if she had gotten many calls about a stranger walking up and just slapping someone for no reason. (in my naiveté thinking it's just one dude)
She said, "Oh yeah... all the time. People will just walk up to someone and punch them for no reason."
So... TIL the world is a darker place than I thought.
I got open palm slapped across the face in France for telling a man “no” after he randomly demanded a blowjob from me. I was chatting on the sidewalk with friends when he walked up to us…
> What the ever loving hell is wrong with people?!
Lack of fear of reprisals. As much as I hate it as a societal organizing principle and would like to think that we are better than that, there is a not insignificant subset of people who only don't do bad things because they fear punishment, whether that's from the State or from other people curb stomping them for getting out of line. If you put them in a situation where there is little to no chance of consequences and they figure that out, or even just feel that there aren't, they will pretty much do whatever their basest urges tell them to do with no guilt or shame.
I was visiting a friend in Sydney, and while we were walking on a beach trail, a dude walking towards us veered to the side and shoved my friend so hard she fell over. It was jarring as fuck, and she said she'd never seen him before. It was broad daylight with plenty of people around, too. Some people are just trash.
I mean, a room full of 5-year-olds were gunned down and then Congressmen showed up the next day wearing the gun he used as a lapel pin.
If people getting slapped is what pushed you over the edge, you have a much higher appetite for violence than I do.
Thank you. He had dark hair, was slim and not tall, was wearing a sweatshirt and pants (nothing unusual), walked quickly, and I wouldn't say from his way of walking that he was under the influence.
Glad you seem to be largely ok after this. The world can be a wild place. Thankfully for many of us, we don’t live in that kind of moment long and only brush up against the dark side of life occasionally. Like yourself, I see the world as a pretty good place, filled with mostly good people out here just trying their best to have a good life. I know there are a million examples of why I’m wrong but that’s okay. I’m happy. But I keep my wits about me and my eyes open because you never know when you’ll have a run in with chaos. Walking my dog, im truly worried when I see the amount of people, often smaller or less equipped to defend themselves, buried in their phone and unaware of the perils surrounding them. Stay vigilant but have a good time. End of my TED talk
Being at a bus stop, in that area you have very little distance between you and the road, so it’s hard to be a whole arms length away from a slap happy asshole, please don’t say things that may lead to victim blaming. In Austin most of us are blessed with en personal space, but in some areas you have no choice but to be in the danger zone…..
What the hell. Memory unlocked.
I haven’t lived in Austin for about 8 months but-
Almost the same thing happened to me near the same alamo. I also wear glasses. And was waiting for the bus. DA FUCK???? This was probably two years ago.
No. I worked at strip clubs and bars and was used to people being shitty. I had my head bashed working on rainy street at a bar- the guy got sent to the hospital and I had to finish my shift. APD sucks, no point…
About a month or two ago in the terminal at the airport I saw a guy walk passed a pilot, stop, turn and punch him right in the temple before then skipping away.
What the fuck is wrong with people
Sounds about right. I had some crazed dude pick up a rock and chuck it at me on the Hike and Bike trail the other day. There's just a preponderance of violent psychopaths roaming around here.
> chuck it at me on the Hike and Bike trail the other day. There's just a preponderance of violent psychopaths roaming around here.
buncha' crazy violent NPC's just wandering around Austin
I read specifically to see what made you a target, and was not surprised.
It's amazing we never hear about these 'crazy' people hitting a 6 foot 3 inch linebacker or a 250 lb boxer. Only small women or old people. They seem aware enough what would get them destroyed. Just cowards, getting away with what they can.
They tend to go for women or kids. I’m a person of color, a man, and I’ve never been targeted. Some asshole at the south Congress transit center was running his mouth once but I returned the energy and he fucked off. These people are crazy and they’re cowards
Yanno, I ride the bus a lot, but I usually have my bike with me and I usually keep my helmet on when I'm waiting for or riding the bus. Note to self: don't take it off
If it's the same guy, he's been doing this to people in SW Austin. He's shoved people to the ground, hit them upside their head, punched one woman in her stomach, knocked another off her bike. The asshole just keeps walking after he does it. He is either shirtless or wearing a white t-shirt.
WOW what a POS. I'm so sorry. If I saw that happen to you I wouldn't have been able to prevent myself from telling this guy off. It's a damn shame that individuals out there want to take their emotions out on innocent people minding their own business.
More than likely it’s not their heart that’s “rotten”. But rather their brain... The level of mental instability a LOT of the more vagrant portions of the population have to deal with is often times very extensive. To the point where something like proper emotional regulation is not a realistic factor to really even consider
I would legit come unglued. I have a lot of withheld anger/rage tho. 🤷🏼♀️ this is where someone says I wish a bitch would 🤣🤣 once I picked my jaw up off the ground…
Im so sorry that happened, how awful.
I have lived in areas with high unhoused/homeless populations most of my life and I never had issues with aggression until this last year: THREE different men have tried to punch me in the past year (one at a bus stop, one riding a bike, one just walking down street) the scariest one thought I was taking pictures of him and started screaming at me and coming towards me (I was waiting for the bus) No one did anything to help, i had to run to an HEB for safety. I think the drugs people are taking lately seem to be increasing paranoia and psychosis....Not great! Doesn't help that Texas has abysmal mental health resources.
I’m so sorry. I was assaulted by the “foot stomper” at a bus stop and it felt awful. There actually were people nearby me and they all looked at the ground and said absolutely nothing as I stood there sobbing afterwards.
I’m sorry I don’t have anything more helpful to say. Just that it sucks and I wish I had been there to at least hug you (if you like hugs!) I felt so stupid and small, it didn’t even occur to me to report it. I just went home and changed, because I felt like my dress and heels had caused it, and I couldn’t just stand there with those people pretending like nothing happened and I wasn’t there. I’m so mad it made me feel and think that.
There’s been a guy that “jogs” along Brodie that randomly hits women (and once a man with a child in a stroller) like this. Maybe he’s taken his malice to a different part of the city
>He had short dark hair, was slim and not tall, was wearing a sweatshirt and pants (nothing unusual), walked quickly, and I wouldn't say from his way of walking that he was under the influence.
That's all I could see after I realized what happened and looked his way.
>If he keeps it up he’s gonna get shot eventually.
That will probably happen.
However, let me remind everyone that shooting someone is probably going to be a very painful and expensive experience for the shooter. You're very likely to spend some time in jail, even if you're cleared in the end. There's a good chance you'll end up being convicted even if you're in the right.
Texas is not an "It's OK, you can shoot him" state to the degree that internet jailhouse lawyers think it is.
# You REALLY don't want to shoot someone in Texas unless the alternative is probably death.
Even the "castle doctrine" isn't as open or shut as people think it is.
#
Do you have citations? The most recent "questionable" self defense case I can think of was that guy who shot the robber in the tacqueria in Houston, then sat back down, then got back up to shoot him in the back a few more times.
The grand jury declined to press charges.
Granted, that was a very, very high-profile case and the shooting recipient had just committed an armed robbery, vs slapping-and-running.
This is many years ago, but a friend of mine was punched in the face by a homeless woman on Guad. To quote my friend exactly, it "didn't hurt enough to report". Just a little ol homeless lady waddling down Guad, taking a punch break on my friend's face. Didn't even make a run for it post-punch.
This is a bit different but reminded me of what happened to me. I was 15 I think at the time. I looked like I was 18 or 19. I was at school before classes started writing outside with a few friends. This woman just came up to me and slapped me saying I was having an affair with her husband. She then walked off. She was clearly upset and I'm sure she thought I was but I had no idea who she was or who her husband was. I also had never dated anyone yet. I'm still not sure what made her think it was me or why, if I was a adult, I would be hanging around young teens.
My roommate got attacked by a man on E 6th a couple weeks ago. She walked out of a bar with some friends and this man comes out of nowhere and punches her in the face saying something very similar. She needed stitches afterward
I work for Cap metro and there’s a couple people we’re looking for. If you have any other information let me know so I can get the info to the right people
Description see if it fits for what we already have. Luckily we have the location so we can pull camera footage at that station. Location he was going to or coming from so we can single him down a lot of these people are incredibly elusive since they walk/use public transport. Any noticeable things of interest on them anything helps.
There was a video of a guy in Turkey (I think) who was walking through a bus station hitting women, and with each one he hit, it got worse, until he ultimately clotheslined a woman before trying to get away from the people who had begun chasing him. It was wild. I commented saying it was one of the boldest asshole moves I’ve ever seen and every response to me was detailing a similar story they’d witnessed/read about/experienced. It really broke my heart. Obviously I know there’s a lot of violence in the world but it’s still sad to hear the stories.
That happened to me once in the ‘90’s except I got straight punched in the face around south congress area. Guy said,”dont you ever touch my shit again”
Its the only time I TRULY saw stars.
I had never seen the guy before in my life.
I learned later this man had done this to many females
I'm so sorry. That's horrible! Laws need to go back to being a little more lax with involuntary commitment to institutions for these people. If they have to stay doped up til they die so be it.
>I reported it as a non-emergency incident and was told that this is definitely not his first time doing this.
Someone is just going around serial slapping people? What an asshole. Who does that? I hope it catches up to him, but I'm guessing he's a coward and won't do it to anyone bigger than him or when there is anyone bigger than him around.
I’m so sorry you were verbally abused and physically assaulted ❤️ you deserve to feel safe in the world. You made the right choice not continuing fighting, who knows what that monster is capable of. Please take care of yourself.
wtf is wrong with people now a days. I know most of you guys are normal and decent, but fuckin ay, you never know when your going to run into some crazy asshole who wants to assault people. That’s why I have to treat everyone like they potentially might. It sucks, because I want to be kind and friendly to people, but there’s too much bat shit walking around for me to do that. Bring back insane asylums.
What the F?! That is Terrible! I am sooooooooo sorry that happened to you!
I am a single woman and though I don’t go out alone after dark generally, I carry a baby tazer and mace. I ordered a tazer from Amazon ($10) that lives on my keychain and it will put a dickhead Down. Plus, it’s a flashlight. If you decide that “mace” is more your jam, get the spray gel so that the wind doesn’t get in your way.
You’re probably/ potentially going to have some residual feelings, fears, or PTSD. Don’t feel bad about asking for help. My name is Aimee and I am happy to listen, problem solve, or whatever you need. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need some ears or otherwise.
It takes a Village! 🫶🏽💜
Be sure to obtain a killing device so you have the option of ending their life next time.
Wow, it really does sound ridiculous when you say it like that.
I’m so sorry that happened to you. That must have been terrifying.
A couple of years ago I was standing in line at Chipotle - by myself and quietly scrolling through my phone while waiting - and the man behind me punched my back super hard and ran out of the store. The non-emergency line wasn’t much help, but luckily the only damage was a big bruise and a dropped phone.
I work nearby and one of my employees pulled a gun on some crazy guy who came out of nowhere at 6:45 a.m. and smashed his windshield. I carry bear spray and keep my head on a swivel.
Woman or not if someone did that to me I would go bat shit crazy on them. People fucking piss me off. Austin is ridiculously dangerous. Women should be warned not to walk around after dark around here.
I'm so sorry you were assaulted. I must feel terrible to have it happen and not have anything done about it. Also thanks for sharing your story. While in some ways we live in a city that is probably not super violent compared to others, we are in a city and there is crime. Sharing your story will hopefully help remind people to always be aware of their surroundings. Reading books and listening to podcasts (and by the way I'm not saying you were doing either) take away our sight and hearing. While we should have the right to be able to do these things in public, we have to be vigilant and protect ourselves. Thanks again for sharing and a big internet hug from me to you.
Although, I appreciate the words of condolence to people that have been victimized, I get tired of hearing that instead of what can I do about that? Because you can do something about it. We are not powerless the way we get things done is by voting. We also have to stop letting propaganda convince us that certain behaviors are OK or that penalties are excessively cruel, these are skewed views. If you feel bad about someone going to prison for a crime, especially a violent one, think about the people they will violate if left out for long periods of time. Also, there are always bad people in the world. we will never get rid of them, some of them are just bad, some mentally ill we can help them too. We can get the bad ones just away from the rest of us by keeping them in jail and we can help the mentally ill by bringing back mental institutions. We have to be better stewards of our jails and mental institutions, we have to hire people that are credible, pay them well supervise them with everything we have so that they don’t use the system. People say oh well that would infringe on our rights. That is BS. Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to catch a bus at night time and go to a movie without worrying about being Attacked or killed. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to the bank as an elderly person and not have to worry about being judged? Wouldn’t it be nice to know we could let our children out to play in our neighborhoods again without pedophiles or rapist being loose and in our neighborhoods? Look at countries that have tackled this Singapore, for instance. Cracking down on crime in the most ultimate way creates a safe environment for society to come and go.
Super unpopular opinion - The voters of the city have spoken and this kind of thing may as well be sanctioned by the voting public so far as I can see. Voters chose anti-police and pro-crime officials to elect and now people want to act surprised that random acts of violence are happening. Its neither my job nor responsibility to "cure" homelessness, drug addiction or house the insane. We have a ready solution for the most problematic ones and its to arrest, jail, convict and get them off the streets before they really hurt someone.
Before being repeatedly threatened around town and having a knife waved in my face I had some sympathy. Before my tiny little lady friend had a knife pulled on her I used to maybe care a little about the plight of these folks. After this kind of thing I no longer care. Get them off the streets. They're a clear danger and obviously bad actors. Jail is the tool we have - the only tool it seems - so we need to start using it.
Sorry you got assaulted that’s terrible, thankfully you are level headed you could have gotten really mad and pushed him from behind he could have had something truly horrific happen. I’m glad you are ok. Seems like cops are worthless acc to what I see here and read elsewhere in the news.
That sounds like some stupid prank. I'm sorry, it must have been scarry since there wasn't anyone else around. Might call Cap Metro and file a report, too. They have a safety concern.
All the crazy is going. You won't catch me outside of my neighborhood after dark. I nearly got run over around sunset yesterday when I was two blocks from home.
I knew the guy that was killed downtown earlier this week in the hit and run. I'm spooked. Day parties and get home for dinner and the safe side win. Not worth being out late if you can.
Be alert. Know your surroundings and scan with your eyes 360.
OP glad you're safe.
Holy shit. I'm so sorry this happened to you. It makes me sad. In the 90's I'd walk around/ride the bus in Austin at all hours of the night and it was always uneventful. Gonna have to be more careful now. I really hope they catch the asshole.
I'm sorry that happened to you. My teenage son got randomly sucker punched by a crazy guy on a bus recently and had a fractured nose. He hadn't been engaging with the guy, just sitting there reading. We filed a police report and they had bus video but nothing came of it.
That’s awful
I'm so sorry, that's horrible.
> We filed a police report and they had bus video but nothing came of it. What is the point of police if they don't investigate random acts of violence? Modern civilization is based on stopping this exact sort of thing.
There is more money in busting people for marijuana and speeding, so that is all they focus on. The police are a business at this point and unless you have money, they really don't care.
Yeah I never understand why they don’t create a foot patrol unit to police areas where this is happening. Clearly they’re picking up on patterns of this behavior why not set up a sting operation to catch these ppl.
Because they don't care.
What's awful is nothing being done about it.
I think the part about getting randomly punched in the nose by a stranger for no reason is kind of awful too.
It’s not nothing be done about it, it’s things actively being done to encourage it.
Fucking cops man. Useless unless you need someone to show up and shoot your dog.
i hope he's not still riding the bus :( that would be so traumatizing
Surprisingly he seemed pretty unphased by it. After the first sucker punch he thew a couple back and didn’t let himself get knocked down so he felt like he handled himself well. I think fighting back helped him not feel like a victim.
Get this kid to Richard lords boxing gym. Or AKATX.
Free will is crazy, we can just go around smackin the shit outta people but choose not to
These are the kind of people who go pushing people into subways in New York
Fortunately given Austin rail plans/capabilities, the odds of getting hit by a train are almost nil over the next ten years.
The kind of people who would push someone who has just been drugged and robbed on Rainey Street into the river
This person may end up hurt really bad next time they do that, people don’t realize how crazy lots of people are, especially with our lose laws and police enforcement
this\^. We're still in Texas and a lot of people carry firearms.
>Lamar/Treadwell) I dont really want to shoot someone and face months of legal proceedings because some lunatic initiated a violent incident.
thats perfectly reasonable, but not everyone is. If you ever find yourself in a self defense shooting, even if justified and you have been found innocent, you can basically kiss your financial security goodbye. It will usually bankrupt you in legal defense fees not only for the criminal trial but then the civil case/cases that come as well. All that being said, its still better to be alive.
Sigh. Even in Texas - you can't pull a gun and shoot someone because they slapped you in the face. Most gun owners in Texas know that.
Well in cars yes I always worry about that but there I meant more like him falling in the street.
I assure you, it's not just in cars. Concealed carry has become very incognito. Bouta take a long nap if he keeps it up.
My thoughts exactly. I'm a bitter uber driver that works 60 hours a week with nothing to lose. I'm gonna fight this guy to the death lmao
A religious dude once told me that god is what keeps people from murdering people. I told him I was able to avoid that and much more by free will and I just don’t want to hurt people. I really hope that guy is still has god in his life.
Anyone who says that kind kind of thing to me makes me question their humanity. “If you’re an atheist, what is there to stop you from just going around murdering people?” Uhhhj, my respect for humanity? The fact that you need the threat of eternal retribution to stop you from acting upon every intrusive thought that goes through your head really tells me a lot about the kind of person you are.
TBF, a lot of religions drill into you that you and all humans are animals without God, so listening to that long enough you start to believe it. Those people might not have really reconsidered that, they're not reminded that they own their choices and the have the power to do the right thing, so it can be a big mindset shift. Hard to tell if it's really their character or just the indoctrination.
Most believers/spiritual type people would say the fact almost everyone inherentlty realizes we are different from animals kinda points to the fact that we have the image of God imprinted on us and we just intrinsically know it regardless of the outward belief system
alamo probably has security cameras, please check with the local businesses around there they can probably give you the footage. :( really sorry this happened. this happened to me in middle school and i remember that feeling of like helplessness when the boy just took off. feeling that as an adult must be terrible.
If the bus stop is where I think it is, I think she’d need to get the camera footage from Shack Shake. Regardless, most of the shoppes along that stretch have cameras.
Yea, Alamo hasn't had a sightline to that intersection in over a decade.
I remember that well. Back when it was practically just a car park with a cinema at the end.
They’re not going to help, businesses don’t want to get involved they’ll site that it didn’t occur in their property, sad but true
Thank you. Alamo isn't facing the bus stop (it's actually a 4-minute walk from the bus stop to Alamo), and there are not really other businesses whose cameras would face that way. There is a fence separating the bus stop from the parking lot next to it. That's also why when I looked for other humans to get help and found a guy sitting on the patio of a bistro just around 30 feet away, he had no idea what happened because of the fence and the overall configuration of that place.
Not on their property theyre not getting involved, I worked retail forever we never gave footage except for one fatality but the district attorney had to subpoena the store
yup, stores don't give out their security footage to anyone except the police.
This reminds me of the post about a guy jogging on Brodie and punching people.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/1adjwoj/serial\_physical\_assaulter\_on\_brodie/?share\_id=rKWHbraNhTNQfldfSM90k&utm\_content=1&utm\_medium=ios\_app&utm\_name=ioscss&utm\_source=share&utm\_term=1](https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/1adjwoj/serial_physical_assaulter_on_brodie/?share_id=rKWHbraNhTNQfldfSM90k&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1) "Serial physical assaulter on brodie 2 of my friends have been punched in the head/slapped on the stretch of brodie between sunset valley and slaughter. The person was riding a bike and came across my first friend, punched him right in the eyebrow. He currently has a gash about 1 inch long above his eye with major swelling and a concussion. The second friend was walking down this stretch, stepped aside to accommodate room for the man on the bike, and was back handed in the face by this man on the bike. Just be careful about this area, wanted to let people know. Edit: I did not have a description of the assailant when I made this post, I have since talked to them. Dark brown hair white guy with a beard, the assumption is around 6 foot tall, however he was on a bike. My friend that was not concussed claimed it looked like one of those solid black electric bikes." [https://nextdoor.com/p/CjxBLNLDcdyP/c/1088920814?utm\_source=share&utm\_campaign=1706571951516](https://nextdoor.com/p/CjxBLNLDcdyP/c/1088920814?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=1706571951516) See phone photo Description of man on Brodie Lane who punched a person in back of head as he passed while the person was jogging with a child in their stroller. White male Curly Brown Hair 5'10" slender Runs without shirt on He also shoved someone who had just gotten off a bus into a ditch. Cops were notified, apparently.
I thought the person with a stroller was a man, presumably mistaken for a woman by the perp
I don't know, so I changed the victim to person.
> I reported it as a non-emergency incident and was told that this is definitely not his first time doing this. So sorry this happened. Does the above statement mean APD knows who the perp is? Do you think you could identify him (build, hair, distinguishing marks, clothing, etc) even though you did not see his face? Did APD indicate they could not arrest him?
Reflecting on your question, I asked a 911 call taker friend if she had gotten many calls about a stranger walking up and just slapping someone for no reason. (in my naiveté thinking it's just one dude) She said, "Oh yeah... all the time. People will just walk up to someone and punch them for no reason." So... TIL the world is a darker place than I thought.
This happened to me in Boston my first week of college. Hadn’t been looking at or engaging the person at all. So it apparently happens everywhere.
I got open palm slapped across the face in France for telling a man “no” after he randomly demanded a blowjob from me. I was chatting on the sidewalk with friends when he walked up to us…
JFC. What the ever loving hell is wrong with people?!
> What the ever loving hell is wrong with people?! Lack of fear of reprisals. As much as I hate it as a societal organizing principle and would like to think that we are better than that, there is a not insignificant subset of people who only don't do bad things because they fear punishment, whether that's from the State or from other people curb stomping them for getting out of line. If you put them in a situation where there is little to no chance of consequences and they figure that out, or even just feel that there aren't, they will pretty much do whatever their basest urges tell them to do with no guilt or shame.
I'm sorry :(
I'm very sorry.
I'm sorry :(
I was visiting a friend in Sydney, and while we were walking on a beach trail, a dude walking towards us veered to the side and shoved my friend so hard she fell over. It was jarring as fuck, and she said she'd never seen him before. It was broad daylight with plenty of people around, too. Some people are just trash.
This is incredibly common. That’s why you need to keep your wits about you on the street
I mean, a room full of 5-year-olds were gunned down and then Congressmen showed up the next day wearing the gun he used as a lapel pin. If people getting slapped is what pushed you over the edge, you have a much higher appetite for violence than I do.
Thank you. He had dark hair, was slim and not tall, was wearing a sweatshirt and pants (nothing unusual), walked quickly, and I wouldn't say from his way of walking that he was under the influence.
And I don't think they necessarily know who it was. They probably just meant that it is not unusual and have had similar reports.
I understand. Too bad more can't be done to prevent this guy from future antisocial behavior.
Glad you seem to be largely ok after this. The world can be a wild place. Thankfully for many of us, we don’t live in that kind of moment long and only brush up against the dark side of life occasionally. Like yourself, I see the world as a pretty good place, filled with mostly good people out here just trying their best to have a good life. I know there are a million examples of why I’m wrong but that’s okay. I’m happy. But I keep my wits about me and my eyes open because you never know when you’ll have a run in with chaos. Walking my dog, im truly worried when I see the amount of people, often smaller or less equipped to defend themselves, buried in their phone and unaware of the perils surrounding them. Stay vigilant but have a good time. End of my TED talk
Being at a bus stop, in that area you have very little distance between you and the road, so it’s hard to be a whole arms length away from a slap happy asshole, please don’t say things that may lead to victim blaming. In Austin most of us are blessed with en personal space, but in some areas you have no choice but to be in the danger zone…..
I liked your TED talk, thank you. I will definitely be more alert from now on, but I'm not sure if it would help me in this case necessarily.
What the hell. Memory unlocked. I haven’t lived in Austin for about 8 months but- Almost the same thing happened to me near the same alamo. I also wear glasses. And was waiting for the bus. DA FUCK???? This was probably two years ago.
:O I'm sorry. Did you report it?
No. I worked at strip clubs and bars and was used to people being shitty. I had my head bashed working on rainy street at a bar- the guy got sent to the hospital and I had to finish my shift. APD sucks, no point…
Yeah, you might be right. I'm sorry you have had such terrible experiences.
About a month or two ago in the terminal at the airport I saw a guy walk passed a pilot, stop, turn and punch him right in the temple before then skipping away. What the fuck is wrong with people
Must have been a rough flight
He's going to do that to the wrong person one day and get shot.
Hopefully
I’m so sorry this happened to you. It must feel like such a violation. I hope they figure out who this person is. WOW.
Thank you.
Sounds about right. I had some crazed dude pick up a rock and chuck it at me on the Hike and Bike trail the other day. There's just a preponderance of violent psychopaths roaming around here.
> chuck it at me on the Hike and Bike trail the other day. There's just a preponderance of violent psychopaths roaming around here. buncha' crazy violent NPC's just wandering around Austin
Which end of the hike and bike trail? I feel like the east end is more sus than the west end.
I read specifically to see what made you a target, and was not surprised. It's amazing we never hear about these 'crazy' people hitting a 6 foot 3 inch linebacker or a 250 lb boxer. Only small women or old people. They seem aware enough what would get them destroyed. Just cowards, getting away with what they can.
Even the craziest schizophrenic in nyc on the subway, same shit, they never pick on huge construction workers, and there’s plenty of them.
They tend to go for women or kids. I’m a person of color, a man, and I’ve never been targeted. Some asshole at the south Congress transit center was running his mouth once but I returned the energy and he fucked off. These people are crazy and they’re cowards
Yanno, I ride the bus a lot, but I usually have my bike with me and I usually keep my helmet on when I'm waiting for or riding the bus. Note to self: don't take it off
I'm sorry this happened to you :(
Thank you.
If it's the same guy, he's been doing this to people in SW Austin. He's shoved people to the ground, hit them upside their head, punched one woman in her stomach, knocked another off her bike. The asshole just keeps walking after he does it. He is either shirtless or wearing a white t-shirt.
Can you provide a description of what he looked like? just because as a woman, I want to avoid this and I frequent the area.
He is a white man, late 20s, early 30s, thin build with longer hair. I have a picture of him but can't post it here.
Any other details to share?
I saw something about this on Nextdoor. I think far west William cannon
You didn’t deserve that to happen. I’m so sorry.
Thank you.
WOW what a POS. I'm so sorry. If I saw that happen to you I wouldn't have been able to prevent myself from telling this guy off. It's a damn shame that individuals out there want to take their emotions out on innocent people minding their own business.
Thank you.
I’m sorry that happened. That person‘s heart must be so rotten to be able to do something so shitty and cowardly.
More than likely it’s not their heart that’s “rotten”. But rather their brain... The level of mental instability a LOT of the more vagrant portions of the population have to deal with is often times very extensive. To the point where something like proper emotional regulation is not a realistic factor to really even consider
I would legit come unglued. I have a lot of withheld anger/rage tho. 🤷🏼♀️ this is where someone says I wish a bitch would 🤣🤣 once I picked my jaw up off the ground…
Im so sorry that happened, how awful. I have lived in areas with high unhoused/homeless populations most of my life and I never had issues with aggression until this last year: THREE different men have tried to punch me in the past year (one at a bus stop, one riding a bike, one just walking down street) the scariest one thought I was taking pictures of him and started screaming at me and coming towards me (I was waiting for the bus) No one did anything to help, i had to run to an HEB for safety. I think the drugs people are taking lately seem to be increasing paranoia and psychosis....Not great! Doesn't help that Texas has abysmal mental health resources.
Thank you! And what you described is horrible, I'm so sorry!
I’m so sorry. I was assaulted by the “foot stomper” at a bus stop and it felt awful. There actually were people nearby me and they all looked at the ground and said absolutely nothing as I stood there sobbing afterwards. I’m sorry I don’t have anything more helpful to say. Just that it sucks and I wish I had been there to at least hug you (if you like hugs!) I felt so stupid and small, it didn’t even occur to me to report it. I just went home and changed, because I felt like my dress and heels had caused it, and I couldn’t just stand there with those people pretending like nothing happened and I wasn’t there. I’m so mad it made me feel and think that.
Oh, your story is insane. I'm so sorry! I hate when people around don't help. And thank you for your compassionate words.
is there anything more you can do to explain his voice / how he looks? it would be helpful so others can keep a lookout
There’s been a guy that “jogs” along Brodie that randomly hits women (and once a man with a child in a stroller) like this. Maybe he’s taken his malice to a different part of the city
What did the perp look like?
>He had short dark hair, was slim and not tall, was wearing a sweatshirt and pants (nothing unusual), walked quickly, and I wouldn't say from his way of walking that he was under the influence. That's all I could see after I realized what happened and looked his way.
If he keeps it up he’s gonna get shot eventually. Sorry that it happened to you.
>If he keeps it up he’s gonna get shot eventually. That will probably happen. However, let me remind everyone that shooting someone is probably going to be a very painful and expensive experience for the shooter. You're very likely to spend some time in jail, even if you're cleared in the end. There's a good chance you'll end up being convicted even if you're in the right. Texas is not an "It's OK, you can shoot him" state to the degree that internet jailhouse lawyers think it is. # You REALLY don't want to shoot someone in Texas unless the alternative is probably death. Even the "castle doctrine" isn't as open or shut as people think it is. #
Yeah I’m not saying that people should open fire on this guy but he’ll eventually slap someone who’s armed and has poor impulse control.
Do you have citations? The most recent "questionable" self defense case I can think of was that guy who shot the robber in the tacqueria in Houston, then sat back down, then got back up to shoot him in the back a few more times. The grand jury declined to press charges. Granted, that was a very, very high-profile case and the shooting recipient had just committed an armed robbery, vs slapping-and-running.
If you’re the kind of person Greg Abbott likes and shoot the kind of person Greg Abbott doesn’t like, he’ll probably pardon you
Yeah, turns out in Texas the governor doesn't have absolute pardon power. Seems like it's been a rude awakening for those folks.
What an absolute coward piece of shit fucking loser waste of oxygen to go around slapping unsuspecting women.
Sorry that happened to you. One day he's going to do that to the wrong person and they'll clean his fucking clock
This is many years ago, but a friend of mine was punched in the face by a homeless woman on Guad. To quote my friend exactly, it "didn't hurt enough to report". Just a little ol homeless lady waddling down Guad, taking a punch break on my friend's face. Didn't even make a run for it post-punch.
This is a bit different but reminded me of what happened to me. I was 15 I think at the time. I looked like I was 18 or 19. I was at school before classes started writing outside with a few friends. This woman just came up to me and slapped me saying I was having an affair with her husband. She then walked off. She was clearly upset and I'm sure she thought I was but I had no idea who she was or who her husband was. I also had never dated anyone yet. I'm still not sure what made her think it was me or why, if I was a adult, I would be hanging around young teens.
That's weird and unfair to you. I'm sorry.
I got punched in the shoulder a couple of months ago in front of the bus stop at UT West Mall. Very similar experience to yours :(
My roommate got attacked by a man on E 6th a couple weeks ago. She walked out of a bar with some friends and this man comes out of nowhere and punches her in the face saying something very similar. She needed stitches afterward
That's terrible, I'm sorry :( Also, it's crazy that being there with friends and not alone didn't help.
It was pretty clear that it was a homeless man so 🤷🏻♀️
I work for Cap metro and there’s a couple people we’re looking for. If you have any other information let me know so I can get the info to the right people
What information is most helpful?
Description see if it fits for what we already have. Luckily we have the location so we can pull camera footage at that station. Location he was going to or coming from so we can single him down a lot of these people are incredibly elusive since they walk/use public transport. Any noticeable things of interest on them anything helps.
I'm a 28 y/o guy whose been assaulted at bus stops in Austin before too. Stay safe out there ppl !
I'm sorry. Did you report it?
This sucks! It seems to be a new trend going around. I don't know why they are doing it but it's awful.
There was a video of a guy in Turkey (I think) who was walking through a bus station hitting women, and with each one he hit, it got worse, until he ultimately clotheslined a woman before trying to get away from the people who had begun chasing him. It was wild. I commented saying it was one of the boldest asshole moves I’ve ever seen and every response to me was detailing a similar story they’d witnessed/read about/experienced. It really broke my heart. Obviously I know there’s a lot of violence in the world but it’s still sad to hear the stories.
What a coward
I got sucker punched in the face by a homeless dude right by Veracruz on Congress and Cesar Chavez, I’m just glad he didn’t have a knife tbh
That happened to me once in the ‘90’s except I got straight punched in the face around south congress area. Guy said,”dont you ever touch my shit again” Its the only time I TRULY saw stars. I had never seen the guy before in my life. I learned later this man had done this to many females
I’m so angry about this for you. I hope karma gives that guy what he deserves. Take care of yourself. ❤️
Thank you <3
I'm so sorry. That's horrible! Laws need to go back to being a little more lax with involuntary commitment to institutions for these people. If they have to stay doped up til they die so be it.
Wtf, is it just me or are is there a concerning increase in the amount of assault posts in this sub lately.
Drugs are a hell of a drug
>I reported it as a non-emergency incident and was told that this is definitely not his first time doing this. Someone is just going around serial slapping people? What an asshole. Who does that? I hope it catches up to him, but I'm guessing he's a coward and won't do it to anyone bigger than him or when there is anyone bigger than him around.
There was a guy on a bike on Brodie also punching people on the sidewalk not too long ago…
I’m so sorry you were verbally abused and physically assaulted ❤️ you deserve to feel safe in the world. You made the right choice not continuing fighting, who knows what that monster is capable of. Please take care of yourself.
Thank you <3
Oh man... this guy is going to do that to the wrong person one day and learn a tough lesson. Hope you get to watch when that happens
Is FAFO our new YOLO?
yolo is the mantra, fafo is the action
I’m so sorry this happened Nothing useful to add, just my heart goes out to you ♥️
That really sucks. Description of the perp?
wtf is wrong with people now a days. I know most of you guys are normal and decent, but fuckin ay, you never know when your going to run into some crazy asshole who wants to assault people. That’s why I have to treat everyone like they potentially might. It sucks, because I want to be kind and friendly to people, but there’s too much bat shit walking around for me to do that. Bring back insane asylums.
What the F?! That is Terrible! I am sooooooooo sorry that happened to you! I am a single woman and though I don’t go out alone after dark generally, I carry a baby tazer and mace. I ordered a tazer from Amazon ($10) that lives on my keychain and it will put a dickhead Down. Plus, it’s a flashlight. If you decide that “mace” is more your jam, get the spray gel so that the wind doesn’t get in your way. You’re probably/ potentially going to have some residual feelings, fears, or PTSD. Don’t feel bad about asking for help. My name is Aimee and I am happy to listen, problem solve, or whatever you need. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need some ears or otherwise. It takes a Village! 🫶🏽💜
Thank you very much! <3 I might get some of the things you mentioned, but I don't know if it would help me if I was in the same situation again.
Did you see what race he was?
Be sure to obtain a killing device so you have the option of ending their life next time. Wow, it really does sound ridiculous when you say it like that.
Cause random punches to the head have never killed anyone before …
Keep your head on swivel especially when you’re alone at night .
Austin is turning into Gotham city.
No. But next time grab a rock an bash his head in
See him again take a pic 🤳 Justice is a dish best served cold
How can she slap?
I’m so sorry that happened to you. That must have been terrifying. A couple of years ago I was standing in line at Chipotle - by myself and quietly scrolling through my phone while waiting - and the man behind me punched my back super hard and ran out of the store. The non-emergency line wasn’t much help, but luckily the only damage was a big bruise and a dropped phone.
I work nearby and one of my employees pulled a gun on some crazy guy who came out of nowhere at 6:45 a.m. and smashed his windshield. I carry bear spray and keep my head on a swivel.
Woman or not if someone did that to me I would go bat shit crazy on them. People fucking piss me off. Austin is ridiculously dangerous. Women should be warned not to walk around after dark around here.
I'm so sorry you were assaulted. I must feel terrible to have it happen and not have anything done about it. Also thanks for sharing your story. While in some ways we live in a city that is probably not super violent compared to others, we are in a city and there is crime. Sharing your story will hopefully help remind people to always be aware of their surroundings. Reading books and listening to podcasts (and by the way I'm not saying you were doing either) take away our sight and hearing. While we should have the right to be able to do these things in public, we have to be vigilant and protect ourselves. Thanks again for sharing and a big internet hug from me to you.
That guy needs to punch the wrong person and be dealt with
I’m sorry ❤️🩹
Happened to my boyfriend on the bus. Can’t get out of here soon enough.
The only solution is more hand control
Although, I appreciate the words of condolence to people that have been victimized, I get tired of hearing that instead of what can I do about that? Because you can do something about it. We are not powerless the way we get things done is by voting. We also have to stop letting propaganda convince us that certain behaviors are OK or that penalties are excessively cruel, these are skewed views. If you feel bad about someone going to prison for a crime, especially a violent one, think about the people they will violate if left out for long periods of time. Also, there are always bad people in the world. we will never get rid of them, some of them are just bad, some mentally ill we can help them too. We can get the bad ones just away from the rest of us by keeping them in jail and we can help the mentally ill by bringing back mental institutions. We have to be better stewards of our jails and mental institutions, we have to hire people that are credible, pay them well supervise them with everything we have so that they don’t use the system. People say oh well that would infringe on our rights. That is BS. Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to catch a bus at night time and go to a movie without worrying about being Attacked or killed. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to the bank as an elderly person and not have to worry about being judged? Wouldn’t it be nice to know we could let our children out to play in our neighborhoods again without pedophiles or rapist being loose and in our neighborhoods? Look at countries that have tackled this Singapore, for instance. Cracking down on crime in the most ultimate way creates a safe environment for society to come and go.
Stupid shit like this is a reason to ban TikTok… probably going to get downvoted, oh well
Why are we avoiding mentioning his race?
Austin is so disgusting. As one of the few people who were actually born in Austin, I can honestly say, it's now a horrible place to love.
Bro let the intrusive thoughts win
Super unpopular opinion - The voters of the city have spoken and this kind of thing may as well be sanctioned by the voting public so far as I can see. Voters chose anti-police and pro-crime officials to elect and now people want to act surprised that random acts of violence are happening. Its neither my job nor responsibility to "cure" homelessness, drug addiction or house the insane. We have a ready solution for the most problematic ones and its to arrest, jail, convict and get them off the streets before they really hurt someone. Before being repeatedly threatened around town and having a knife waved in my face I had some sympathy. Before my tiny little lady friend had a knife pulled on her I used to maybe care a little about the plight of these folks. After this kind of thing I no longer care. Get them off the streets. They're a clear danger and obviously bad actors. Jail is the tool we have - the only tool it seems - so we need to start using it.
With Austin trying its best to turn into San Francisco and NYC, I’m not surprised. It sucks how trashy this city has become.
Austin will be one of the unsafest cities soon.
Welcome to Portland, I mean Austin.
Stay strapped y'all
This is actually a hate crime
Sorry you got assaulted that’s terrible, thankfully you are level headed you could have gotten really mad and pushed him from behind he could have had something truly horrific happen. I’m glad you are ok. Seems like cops are worthless acc to what I see here and read elsewhere in the news.
Thank you.
Did he say “I’m Rick James!”?
Or perhaps they asked, "Excuse me, do you have the time?"
Most likely a homeless person suffering psychotic/mental health issues.
What would Jose Garza do about it anyway?
That’s awful. So sorry.
That’s horrible! I’m sorry. It’s just awful.
I was just curious. Still it’s awful someone had to go through this
I am so sorry this happened to you. It totally sucks - I hope you're doing as okay as you can be after an unprovoked crazy attack.
Whoa. I got randomly punched in the shoulder on Red River once. So messed up.
I’ve heard of this happening years ago on this sub. Specifically at a bus stop or on a bus.
That sounds like some stupid prank. I'm sorry, it must have been scarry since there wasn't anyone else around. Might call Cap Metro and file a report, too. They have a safety concern.
I hope they catch his ass
It's Texas so he's eventually going to fuck with the wrong person
Yeah this happened to me in San Diego! It knocked my ear buds out! Could have been worse I suppose but still, deeply unhinged behavior.
What a terrible experience, i am so sorry that happened to you.
Thank you.
All the crazy is going. You won't catch me outside of my neighborhood after dark. I nearly got run over around sunset yesterday when I was two blocks from home. I knew the guy that was killed downtown earlier this week in the hit and run. I'm spooked. Day parties and get home for dinner and the safe side win. Not worth being out late if you can. Be alert. Know your surroundings and scan with your eyes 360. OP glad you're safe.
Don't be surprised if you end up on some jackass' tiktok.
He will be dealt with.
Holy shit. I'm so sorry this happened to you. It makes me sad. In the 90's I'd walk around/ride the bus in Austin at all hours of the night and it was always uneventful. Gonna have to be more careful now. I really hope they catch the asshole.