Yep, I got knifed today.

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Despite a couple of mistakes on my part, it became an Impact Model Mugging moment, too.

About 3:30PM this afternoon, I was downtown hanging out on 2nd Avenue in my taxi, waiting to score some fares. Today was Birthington’s Washday, and as a result of the banks and the government being closed, it was pretty slow. Normally, during the average day, I’m generally not idle enough to hang outside bars.

Anyhow, I picked up a couple near the Mecca Bar. #1 was a Caucasian male of around 45-50, slender, probably about 150 pounds, unclean-shaven but not bearded, drunk as a skunk. #2 was a Native female, also about 45-50, much more respectable than the male in that she had had something to drink but was nowhere nearly as intoxicated.

1 asked me to drive them first to an ATM, then to somewhere he could buy cigarettes for #2, and finally to Sophie Plaza, an apartment complex on the west side of town. I drove them first to the Airport Way Texaco, where I knew there were both an ATM and smokes for sale, but no booze (to avoid having him turned away for being drunk on a licensed premises). While walking around the front of my cab, #1 slipped on a snow berm. He picked himself up and dusted himself off, whereupon a female animal-control officer inquired as to whether he was all right. He said that he was, went into the store, then turned right around without going to the ATM or buying #2’s smokes. He returned to the cab, and asked me to drive them down to First National Bank Alaska (at Washington Plaza, on the way to Sophie Plaza).

I turned in to First National Bank and stopped at the front door, and told #1 that the ATM was just inside the front door, to the right. He went in, stayed inside for about five minutes, then came back out, repocketing his ATM card. He stumbled over to the cab and got in, whereupon #2 asked him to buy her some cigarettes - Marlboro Red 100. I said I knew of a place, Ron’s Liquors, close by where #1 could buy smokes, and while he was becoming increasingly belligerent, he assented to stoppng there. Ron’s Liquors turned out to be closed, so I drove down to Safeway, nearby in the next block. I stopped in front of the front door, and told #1 that he could buy cigarettes at the front counter, inside the front door and all the way down to the right. #1 refused at that point to get out of the cab, and instead insisted that I take them to Sophie Plaza.

I turned into Sophie Plaza’s parking lot at about 3:45PM and asked which building and apartment they wanted. #1, through his grumbling, told me to go to Building D, where they were staying in apartment D-7. I then stopped in front of the west door to Building D. I asked for the $14.40 fare, and #1 refused to pay, saying he had already given me $200. #2 tried to gently remind him that he had not given me any money, but #1 would have nothing of it. I then attempted to lift collateral from #1 in the form of his cell phone, but he would have none of that either.

1 and I began yelling at each other. He then exited the cab on the right side, and I exited the cab on my side and walked over to him. He began backing me towards the building, and I assumed the Impact ready stance (hands up to protect my face, elbows in to protect my sides). About 20 feet from the building, #1 made to throw a punch, whereupon I eye-poked him. #1 toppled over into the snow berm beside the walk, then got up and began acting a bit more conciliatory… for a moment. He and I then circled in the direction of the building, and reached the door. #1 engaged again, and as he was throwing his punch I eye-poked him a second time.

Somehow, and I don’t remember how, #1, #2, and I all ended up inside the building. #2 was between us, but #1 then reached into his right pocket with his right hand, and withdrew a large pocketknife with a two-inch blade. #1 erected the blade, #2 jumped out of the way, and he attacked while saying, “Now I’m going to cut you.” As the knife came down, I went to the floor and chambered my weapon [my upper leg and foot]. #1 was momentarily distracted by seeing his opponent/victim going down to the floor, then advanced. I fired my weapon once into his upper left shin and rechambered. He stumbled for a moment, then advanced again. I shifted my aim and fired again, this time into his upper right shin [I was going for the knee both times], then rechambered. At that point, #1 decided he had had enough and decided to retreat into D-7. #2 left as well.

I walked/stumbled back out to my cab and broadcast a 911 call, saying I had been attacked with a knife. The dispatcher asked if I were injured; I replied that I was not. He asked if I wanted the police to come, and I said that, yes, I did want them to come.

Three different officers arrived, beginning at about 4:05PM. Two of them asked my story, then went in to D-7. When the third officer arrived, he went directly to D-7. During the time I was waiting for the police, I discovered I had a very small cut on the outside of my right thumb, between the first and second joints, which I thought might have happened before the knife was drawn. The third officer then came out and asked my story, and mentioned that they had found a pocketknife with some fresh blood on it that was apparently in the process of being rinsed, plus a tissue with blood spots in an otherwise empty trash can. He then gave me a blank statement form to fill out, to give my side of the story.

One officer emerged with #1, the assailant, in handcuffs, and then a second one came out with #2, who had her hands free. #1 and #2 were loaded into separate cruisers and left. The first officer to have arrived was the last to leave. He swabbed the wound, then collected my written statement. He looked the statement over, then reviewed again with me the entire incident - the backing-up, the two eye-pokes, the appearance of the knife, and the floor fight.

After that, well, it was back to work.

~

To be honest, I was never afraid of this dipshit. I knew in my body and in my bones that I could handle things if they became physical - which unfortunately did happen. The appearance of the knife was a wrinkle not addressed in my Impact Model Mugging class (the assailant portrayed there was a single unarmed attacker), but my body knew it was time to go to the floor and continue the fight from down there, since the attacker would have lost his access to the soft targets of my face, hands, and stomach, and would instead be facing the hardened weapons of my shod feet. I am also happy to note that the only times any harm was done to #1 was when he had thrown a punch or drawn a weapon. I did not become bloodthirsty - I did not take advantage of his momentary stunning from the eye-pokes to begin kicking or punching or breaking bones or otherwise attacking him beyond the force necessary to repel the attack.

I made a mistake today, however: if I had not exited the cab, the fight would not have become physical. It would probably have taken roughly the same amount of time to have the police come and either help me collect from or arrest #1 for fourth-degree theft as it did for them to come and process an arrest for aggravated [weapons] assault, misconduct involving weapons [handling the knife while intoxicated], and the aforementioned fourth-degree theft.

~

Four years ago, I recall being afraid of what might happen if I were to marry R, as I was on track to do by May of 2001, and then Warner, her ex-convicthusband, were to show up loaded for bear - or at least armed with a knife or baseball bat - to take back his property which I had stolen (he did think) from him. As of February 2003, when I was attacked outside my apartment by a psychotic neighbor (since departed), I was pretty sure I had answered that question. As of today, I know the answer to that question: I can do whatever it takes to deal with and end the attack.

I can defend myself.

I am worth defending.

I can, by extension, defend my family.

Last updated January 19, 2015