Remember The Dude Who Fought Off Muggers On His Porch?

The first incident happened back in July, when he fought off muggers because he didn’t want to lose his camera, which had photos of his mother’s wedding. Well, I just got an email from him and he recounts his most recent experience here. Perhaps most disturbing was that a delivery driver dropped off a package right while the assault was taking place. He writes:

“Today at 3:30pm while walking back home from the 10th Street Market a group of teenagers assaulted me.

After I had purchased a soft drink from the 10th Street Market, I was walking north on 10th street on the eastern sidewalk when a teen ran down the sidewalk from Westminster street and literally started throwing punches at me on the sidewalk near the alley. He didn’t ask for money, rather just wanted to fight and I looked like an easy subject.

When I turned around another youth had approached me from behind and took a swing at me. Since I wasn’t taken down with any of the punches, I continued to hold my fists up and take on both of the youth. I was able force the main attacker of the teenagers up 10th street to the corner of Westminster Street, whereupon another teen came running north on the sidewalk and attempted to punch me again. I continued yelling at them at the top of my lungs asking them why they wanted to fight me and telling them that I live here in the neighborhood.

While I want them to be punished for their actions, I do not want the youth to go to jail because from my experience it only hurts their future prospects. Community service can be a strong reforming agent for wayward youth like the ones who find sport in an after school fight club.

What I found bothersome during the entire altercation was that I was yelling at the top of my lungs the entire time & no neighbors heard me and that a UPS driver made a delivery to a neighbor while it was taking place and neither parties did anything. But at the same time there is little that can be done by observers except yelling “I am calling the police,” unless they want to risk getting beat up as well.”

Read the rest of his account here.

Very troubling. Do you think community service would be a productive/suitable punishment for the assailants?