Following the death of George Floyd, a wave of violent protests and clashes with policemen have emerged across various US states. In order to contain the violence, nearly 62,000 US National Guards have been deployed in two dozen states. But the overwhelming protests continue to put pressure on the authorities and the government. Amidst all the chaos, a serious threat was averted - potentially saving numerous lives.
A video of a man with a hoodie and a bandanna over his head holding an AR-15 rifle caught everyone's attention. The video snippet from a live video coverage on KOMO-TV, an ABC-affiliate, has been viewed by millions, stunning the viewers. In the short video, an unidentified civilian took charge of a dangerous situation to disarm a rioter who stole the rifle from a cop's car.
A hero's swift action saves lives
Hailed a hero, a private security guard spotted the armed rioter and moved towards him in a swift yet confident pace and managed to disarm him in a matter of seconds. The private guard's actions were captured on camera, showing his proficiency in handling the sophisticated rifle with such ease. But his quick thinking and response to a situation that could have endangered many lives is quite commendable.
The private guard pointed his handgun to disarm the rioter. Once neutralised, he responsibly dissembled the rifle immediately.
The video has gone viral on Twitter and shared widely. Naveed Jamali, a Newsweek editor at large and former FBI double agent, tweeted about the incident and said that a "White guy in #seattle protest open carrying, what appears to be an AR15, has his weapon taken away by an undercover police officer at gunpoint."
Jamali later pointed out that a police source confirmed the rioter had busted the window of a police car and took the rifle.
The 'hero's' identity
While the private security guard's identity remains unknown, a reporter with Q13 News Seattle, Brandi Kruse said the man who disarmed the rioter was her security guard.
"As I explained on air, our security guard felt that the public was in danger. He took the AR 15 from the rioter and disabled it. We called 911 and waited to hand it over and continue our reporting. Protesters surrounded us, calling us police," Kruse tweeted.
She further said that the security guard didn't just take one but two ARs from the rioters and returned them to the police. Another rifle can be seen slinging on his side without the magazine. The handgun appeared to be the guard's only weapon owned by him.
The Seattle police department even acknowledged the incident and confirmed that both the stolen rifles were returned and they were not fired anytime.
