A city councilman was attacked by a homeless man after he made a simple request on the sunny streets of Santa Monica, California.
69-year-old Phil Brock released a full statement about the attack that unfolded on the Third Street Promenade in broad daylight on Sunday afternoon.
“The man was tearing fliers off of a boarded-up storefront, throwing them on the ground,” Brock said.
“And I said, ‘Excuse me, sir, can you put that in our trash can right over there?’ And then he exploded with bad language,” the councilman added.
Brock went on to say that the homeless man tried to steal his hat three times and splashed some liquid in his face. The man then allegedly shoved him three times after he called 911.
KTTV-TV obtained video showing the beginning of the altercation showing Brock talking to the man who appears angry and confrontational. A later scene in the video shows Brock holding the homeless man down as police officers come to assist him.
KTTV reported that the man was held on a mental evaluation and is facing a felony charge of robbery.
“There must be compassion towards our business owners and toward our residents,” said Brock to KTTV. “I think this all interchanges. It can’t be [that] we’re just gonna help the people who are unhoused because I also have people who are hearing and feeling those disturbances at their apartments, at their houses, at their business in the city.”
Brock told the Westside Current that he had been complimenting the promenade before the attack.
“The Promenade looks so much better these days,” he remembered saying. “There were tons of happy shoppers out walking around the Promenade.”
Here’s the video of the altercation:
Phil Brock turns tables on homeless man who attacked him in Santa Monicawww.youtube.com
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