TROY (WWJ) -- Police are on the hunt for a man with a gun who allegedly attacked and injured a woman outside a Target store in Troy.
The incident happened the evening of Friday, July 7, according to police, in the parking lot of the Target on Coolidge Hwy., south of Maple Rd.
Responding to a report of an assault, police said they found a single victim with injuries to her face, and a witness who helped stop the assault.
The victim told police she was getting into her car when a man she didn't know forced her driver's door open and assaulted her.
She said the man punched her in the face with a closed fist before pulling a handgun from the waistband of his pants. In a Facebook post, the woman reported that her attacker pointed the gun at her head, told her not to scream, and to get into the backseat.
She continued: "I knew if Brooks was still going to have a mama, that there was absolutely no way I’d listen. When I grabbed the barrel of the gun to point it away from me and fight, I envisioned my son’s face. I wasn’t scared, I was angry. I caught him off guard and for a moment, I was winning."
The victim was able to fight back, police said, and got the attention of another person nearby.
The witness yelled at the suspect and ran toward the victim, police said. That's when the suspect ran away, and fled the area.
The victim described the suspect as a light-skinned Black male, around 30 years old, tall, with a thin build, wearing red shorts and a pale blue t-shirt.
On Monday, police released images from surveillance video that shows the suspect in the parking lot, wearing a green hat and carrying a black backpack.
On Facebook, the victim asked for prayers, and urged others to use caution: "I am hopeful that I will face my attacker in court one day but until then please be safe!" she wrote. "This happened in a matter of two minutes, I was caught completely off guard and was not able to defend myself with any kind of weapon. Don’t leave you house after 7pm for small tasks and if you have to, don’t go alone. Literally do anything to protect yourself."
The Troy Police Department said it is actively investigating this case and asking anyone who recognizes the suspect, or who has any helpful information, to give them a call at 248-524-0777.
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