Attempted mugging on adult near Goose Green roundabout

[MrDude21]

On Thursday 11th June at Midday my brother who is a 30yr old adult was walking back from the post office, as he was walking past Goose green park near the Zebra crossing at the Roundabout he was stopped by a guy on a bike wearing a mask, he said he looked between 18-25 but was hard to say. The boy asked him not to move and was then approached by 2 others wearing masks who were on foot. They repeatedly asked my brother ?what have you got for us? and one of them shouted ?give me your phone fam?

My brother did not at first respond to them as he was trying to think tactically on what to do as he did not want his phone stolen, eventually the boy on the bike came off and they tried to gang up on him further, my brother grabbed one of them by his wrist and put him down on the floor, the other two started to kick and punch him until a man who was passing by near Mirash in a blue jacket (probably in his 40s?) shouted out and came to help him, the boys fled off down East Dulwich Road towards St Johns church.

Firstly we just want to thank the man who helped my brother, there were many people who passed by and although we can understand that some may not want to get involved for whatever reasons we just want to give our many thanks to him if he does see this or his family come across this post.

I know that no one is safe anywhere and harm is around every corner especially in London, but my brother and myself are just surprised that as adults we still have to face this, we hear a lot on the news or on social media about teenagers facing these issues. When we were teenagers and attended local schools we faced these things but now as adults it really is ridiculous! (Not saying that it?s any less for our children on the streets). What?s more shocking is that this took place in broad daylight!

I thought I would share and just give you all a little nudge to be cautious especially near Goose green as I have heard many other similar stories on the forum.

[Zig-Zag]

Thanks for warning us. Sympathies to your brother and hope he's recovering ok from this horrible incident

[Sue]

Really sorry to hear this.

Did anyone phone the police?

I can understand people not wanting to get directly involved, presumably for fear of being hurt, but I find it hard to understand people who just pass by and don't even try to get help for the person being attacked.

I hope your brother is OK and not too traumatised.

Glad to hear that at least one person came to help.

[SpringTime]

I hope the police were advised, and it'd be good to have a description of the offenders.

Remember you've every right to self-defence provided you're not being unreasonable and unlawful.

Sometimes you have an advantage and if so I'd make the first move if possible. "People" like this generally aren't used to their targets fighting back.

Hope your brother's alright.

[seenbeen]

Can't help wondering whether wearing masks is going to increase this type of mugging - so much fro any CCTV

[KidKruger]

Very few people are going to be minded to fight back in this situation, they'll just try to get away, getting hit and losing possessions in the process.

The fight doesn't start until one of the muggers hit you, by which time it may be too late to defeat them.

Also, if you make the first hit you're liable to be prosecuted for assault cos the muggers will say it was self defence and they were just asking for directions.

And these guys know that.

SpringTime Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I hope the police were advised, and it'd be good

> to have a description of the offenders.

>

> Remember you've every right to self-defence

> provided you're not being unreasonable and

> unlawful.

>

> Sometimes you have an advantage and if so I'd make

> the first move if possible. "People" like this

> generally aren't used to their targets fighting

> back.

>

> Hope your brother's alright.

[SpringTime]

KK if your assessment is good and you hit the mugger first (and it's almost always best to get your own shot in first) you surprise and potentially incapacitate the mugger which gives you time to move away.

If there are more than one obviously better to run first if you can. But if you have made the first move and been able to leave quickly then you can immediately report the incident to the police. The police can assess the stories of muggers and non-muggers with the right balance. There's nothing wrong with defending yourself.

[Roky Erickson]

Given there were 3 assailants here, I?d say that advocating any sort of ?fighting back? is pretty terrible advice.

SpringTime Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> KK if your assessment is good and you hit the

> mugger first (and it's almost always best to get

> your own shot in first) you surprise and

> potentially incapacitate the mugger which gives

> you time to move away.

>

> If there are more than one obviously better to run

> first if you can. But if you have made the first

> move and been able to leave quickly then you can

> immediately report the incident to the police. The

> police can assess the stories of muggers and

> non-muggers with the right balance. There's

> nothing wrong with defending yourself.

[KidKruger]

No, no, no !

Very dangerous advice for your average person on the street.

If you?re not used to hitting people and incapacitating them in one blow, why would it suddenly work when you?re caught unawares, unprepared, and you?re inexperienced ?!

I suppose one could argue there is a ?chance?, but let?s be realistic it?s extremely unlikely and actually bad advice.

For balance, I would do what you suggest but I?ve boxed and had fights outside before (including attempted muggings around ED and Peckham), which is wholly different.

SpringTime Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> KK if your assessment is good and you hit the

> mugger first (and it's almost always best to get

> your own shot in first) you surprise and

> potentially incapacitate the mugger which gives

> you time to move away.

>

[SpringTime]

Yes, yes yes! You can make an assessment and either run or fight. I hope enjoyed your boxing KK :-)

[MrDude21]

Thanks everyone for asking if my brother is ok, he is fine and wasn?t too traumatised by the event.

My Brother is a former security guard and knows self defence pretty well, so he isn?t just the ?average? person walking around, he did not ?hit? anyone.

Police have been informed and is all being taken care of.

I don?t need anyone telling me or my family on what we should and should not have done I am just simply telling locals about the incident and to just be very vigilant, do what you need to do if you are in this situation but just be aware.

For those asking for more description they were all wearing jogging bottoms and hooded tops (black, grey and navy blue) had pouch bags around them and were British African/Caribbean

[OD]

@MrDude21 - were they white, black, asian??? or something else?

[JohnL]

If you run and aren't fit they'll catch you up easily and that's when problems happen.

The problem is fighting isn't a cool calm thing with a lot of us in the fight or flight response - you just do anything you can to get away in my experience.

Of course most other ways other than violence is preferable

[woodland]

I am glad to hear your brother is doing ok . For the rest of us, perhaps the best way to help people is not tell them what they could have done. But to think about what we can do in the future to help others. Being the person who asks someone if they are ok, when it looks like they might not be. Even if that means asking some other people around you to come with you to see if the person is alright.

[fishbiscuits]

MrDude21 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I don?t need anyone telling me or my family on

> what we should and should not have done I am just

> simply telling locals about the incident and to

> just be very vigilant, do what you need to do if

> you are in this situation but just be aware.

I'm with you there. I actually think it was a really strange thing to say... we all handle dangerous situations in our own way, and speculative talk of giving them what for (*does comedy fisticuffs stance*) isn't really helpful to anyone.

Glad your brother is OK, at the end of the day that's by far the most important thing.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Awful and cowardly attack. I really hope these people are caught. Glad you?re brother is OK.

[bingobongo]

I don't think its ok NOT AT ALL! To just walk past and do nothing! Everyone might do something useful in such a situation, even if it's just to stand well away and scream/shout/draw attenion to the situation. That's all I could do, once, when a bloke started punching another one in a Road Rage incident. I wouldn't have gone anywhere near them, but I yelled at them as loud as I could. Other people stopped then, and the bloke doing the punching got in his car and drove away. I'm glad your bro is ok, he must have been terrified.