Nemr Ibrahim, a tow truck driver in the District of Columbia, was fortunately in the right place at the right time on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 20. Then, he happened to be nearby when he saw a violent robbery and carjacking in progress and heroically rushed into action to save the elderly man who was under assault.
The incident, Fox 5 reports, occurred at a Shell gas station at New York Avenue Northeast. There, at about 3:30 in the afternoon, Mr. Ibrahim saw an Audi SUV pull up to the Shell station’s pump and the elderly driver of the gray Audi get out to start pumping gas. Nearly as soon as he did so, the suspect, wearing a light-colored jacket, sprinted up to him and started assaulting him.
The suspect fought with the driver, pushed him around, and then forced his way into the SUV’s driver seat before slamming the door shut. The suspect then managed to start the car, but not before Mr. Ibrahim, who rushed into action as soon as he saw the assault in progress, reached the vehicle as well. Taking action to stop the carjacking, Mr. Ibrahim yanked the door open and pulled the suspect out of the vehicle.
He then tossed the would-be car thief onto the ground and got on top of him, holding him down until the D.C. police showed up moments later and arrested the suspect. Speaking to Fox 5 after the incident, Mr. Ibrahim, the good Samaritan, said he was still startled by the shocking encounter but was “feeling better” after he saved someone’s life. He said, “I feel better now. I saved somebody’s life. So, I feel better now.”
Continuing, Mr. Ibrahim told Fox 5 that he felt he stepped in to help the elderly Audi driver because he felt he “had to do it.” Explaining why he felt that way about rushing toward the danger, he said, “One God, one life. When my time is coming I’ll go, but I have to save the older guy.”
Fox 5 spoke to the senior citizen who was almost carjacked as well. That man, Charles Gladden, spoke about how grateful he was to Mr. Ibrahim for saving him and commented on what he was doing when attacked. Gladden said, “I’m in need of a knee replacement and I knelt down to get my cane. I was trying to keep my balance. This guy was strong. Whatever he was on, he was strong. I was very thankful this guy was in the right place at the right time.”
Watch Fox 5 DC’s report on the incident and interview with the Good Samaritan here:
The incident comes amidst a dramatic increase in violent crime across the District of Columbia, with violent crime increasing in 2023 by a whopping 39%, even as other cities around the country saw something of a decrease in violent crime from 2021 and 2022 highs. Robberies, carjackings, and homicides are particular issues for the city, with the massive number of carjackings impacting residents and politicians alike and shocking many of those in the nation’s capital.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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