A man jumped in to help an elderly man being attacked in San Francisco's Chinatown Wednesday.
San Francisco police have increased their presence in the neighborhood due to recent spikes in violence. This time, a good Samaritan stepped in and held onto the suspect until police arrived.
24-year-old Darren Mark Stallcup, who calls himself a “cowboy living in Chinatown," according to reporting by NBC Bay Area, rushed out of his apartment after he heard screaming.
"I see a very young guy beating up a very old man in the middle of the street and a bunch of people watching," he said.
Initially the attacker fled as people tried to help the bloodied victim, according to Stallcup, and then the man came back.
"Before I could even pull out my phone, the guy came back around a second time. This time in a full sprint with the craziest look in his eye," he said. "I remember screaming at him during the fight. While I was bear-hugging him, I was yelling at him. I was telling him that the old man he was attacking was actually his brother and that ‘love was the answer.'"
The attacker didn’t respond and continued to struggle until police arrived.
The suspect was later taken into custody and is facing assault charges.
"I was just doing what any good man would do. And hopefully, if any of you saw somebody attacking an elderly person, you might try to do something to stop them," said Stallcup.
Stallcup still advised onlookers to be cautious before jumping into a physical altercation and recommended calling police first if possible.
But anyone can get involved by shouting to make their presence known or recording the incident on a cellphone camera, he added.
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