It may have seemed like it was just another ordinary day, but for a few unsuspecting citizens their day turned into something so much more. Three situations that could have turned deadly took a much brighter turn thanks to some very aware individuals. One was a close-knit band of four teenagers who could have just ignored what they saw. Another was a girl walking her dog. Still another uncovered a kidnapping. These innocent bystanders could have assumed everything was normal and gone about their day as if nothing was amiss. But, instead, they knew what they had witnessed was something they had to know the truth about. They each made a decision that was heroic.
These Teen Friends Saw Something Strange
It was just a regular day when a group a teens decided to spend some time skateboarding. These four Canadian teenagers got together with their friends like they had on many occasions. This time, they chose to go skateboarding in an underground parking garage in Calgary. When it started getting late, the group of four decided it was time to call it a night. The four began to disperse and head to their homes, but just then they noticed something strange. It wasn’t the kind of thing they felt like they could ignore. So, they chose to investigate into the matter a bit more.
Was It Just A Girl And Her Dad?
What the teens saw that night as they left the underground parking garage where they had been skateboarding stopped them in their tracks. On the surface, it was just a girl walking with who may have been her dad and his friend. But, something seemed wrong about the encounter. The girl was young and seemed distraught. The men and the girl were walking across the grassy lot toward the empty underground parking garage where the skateboarding group had just left. The teen observers couldn’t put their finger on why she would look so upset, but they knew they had to make sure she was not in any kind of danger.
The Girl Looked Scared
The girl was not much younger than the group of teens leaving the parking garage for the night. The group of friends noticed that she was acting like something was wrong. If this was her dad, why would she be so scared? As they observed the men and the young teen girl walking toward the empty parking garage where they had been enjoying some fun skating time just moments earlier, they noticed one of the men was walking really close behind the girl and suddenly grabbed her in a forceful manner. But, then the men acted as though they knew someone was watching their every move.
They Knew They Had To Confront The Men
One of the friends, Carsyn Wright, noticed immediately that the girl had begun screaming. As she continued to yell, it became very obvious that she wanted nothing more than to get away from these men. So, the skateboarding teens made a very heroic decision. They knew what they had to do. They made the decision to confront the men face to face. Even though the situation looked out of the ordinary, the friends had not considered all of the possibilities of danger. They simply knew they needed to get involved. Still, they had no idea what was about to happen next.
A Reasonable Explanation, So They Thought
As the teenage friends confronted the two men, they offered what seemed to be a logical and sound explanation. The girl was screaming and carrying on as if she was drunk. The older man explained that she had been drinking. From his explanation, the entire scene looked as though a dad was trying to get his little girl home after a night of under age alcohol consumption. The situation sounded legitimate. After all, a loving dad would want to guide a drunk daughter safely home even if she was yelling and acting out as if to embarrass him. Still, something seemed off.
The Teens Backed Off
Upon hearing that the man was the girl’s father, and he was trying to help get the girl to safety sounded reasonable. The teen friends first thought the man was telling the truth. After all, the girl did seem completely out of control or under the influence of alcohol, flat out drunk. She also never tried to dispute what he was saying. It was a logical explanation, and when the teen boys heard that he was her father, they didn’t want to get in the way of a family matter. So, they started to back off. But, then something unexpected happened.
That Nagging Feeling
The boys started to go home. It was getting late, and the story the man had told seemed to make sense. The girl never refuted what they said as being untrue, and the man seemed like he knew what he was talking about. But, something was nagging at them. Was this man really the girl’s father? The group of skateboarding teenagers just felt like something wasn’t right. But, should they pursue it more? What proof did they have that he wasn’t telling the truth? What if something really was wrong? This would put all of them in a potentially dangerous situation.
One Small Detail
As the boys began to walk away, trusting the man was telling the truth about being the girl’s father and that she was drunk, something struck them. The man didn’t seem like he was acting in a way that a loving father would act. He was arrogant as if he was focused more on controlling the situation than how a loving dad would have reacted to the confrontation. Something about it did not sit well with the boys. The man’s mannerisms and insistence that fell short of anger didn’t seem to make sense. As they talked, they recalled a small detail that stood out that troubled them.
Something Unsettling
As the boys had initially turned to walk away to head for home that night, this small detail was nagging at them. Would a loving dad act that rough with his little girl. The gruffness seemed excessive for even a young teen girl who had disobeyed the rules and gone out and gotten herself drunk. Something about the man’s behavior didn’t register with the teen skateboarding crew. It stopped them in their tracks, and they all agreed that there was something wrong. They just couldn’t put their finger on what exactly it was. Still, that one small detail stood out to them as they stood there discussing what to do.
Small Detail Revealed
As the boys stood there discussing their unsettled feeling, they knew they couldn’t continue heading home for the night. They noticed a small detail. For starters, the girl looked as if she had been fighting in a struggle for quite awhile. She was unkempt and her clothing was in disarray. There was something strange about this situation, and they could not ignore it. They could not take the man at his word that he was who he said he was. Then, as they stood from a distance discussing the situation, one of the teens noticed that one of the men had picked the girl up and put her over his shoulder.
She Tried To Resist
As they stood there observing and discussing what they should do from here, they watched as the girl who had been tossed over one of the man’s shoulders was struggling. She was fighting with all of her might to resist being flung over a shoulder like a bag filled with potatoes. It was immediately clear that the girl was crying out for help and trying with all of her might to get away. These men were up to no good, and the girl definitely needed help. But, what were the teens about to walk into if they chose to help?
Surreal Situation Called For An Immediate Hero
It was becoming more and more clear that this girl was in danger. But, what were the teen boys supposed to do? As they watched, none of it seemed real. It was as if they were watching the filming of a movie. Everything was so surreal. The group of four friends had simply been out for a fun night of skateboarding. They had no intention of stepping into harm’s way. But, they also could not simply continue to walk away if the girl was in real danger. As they stood there, it was becoming very clear that this surreal situation was calling for an immediate hero. But, did they have what it would take?
More Signs Of Danger
As the friends prepared to act, they noticed the situation escalating and becoming more and more strange. Questions swirled around their heads trying to make sense out of the situation. They had no reason to believe the man had lied to them, but the actions of the two men didn’t quite match what they were saying about being the girl’s father and her being drunk. Why were they heading into the vacant underground parking area where the friends had been skateboarding for fun just a few minutes prior? As they quickly surveyed the situation, they knew they could not abandon the girl to what seemed to be eminent harm.
The Teenagers Turned Around To Help
All four of the teenage friends came to a fast conclusion. They could not continue to leave to go back to the safety of their homes that night when this girl they had seen struggling appeared to be in real danger. They turned to head back as fast they could to offer whatever help they could muster. They feared they had hesitated too long and would be too late to help. Though, they also, deep down, were really hoping they were wrong and that they were just over blowing the situation in their late-night, tired thinking. They couldn’t take a chance. They turned around and headed back to the parking garage to help.
Doubt Took Hold
As suspicious as the situation looked to the teen friends, they all were going back and forth between wanting to help a girl in danger and wondering if they were overreacting. Doubt gripped each one of them as they shrugged it off knowing that they could not live with themselves if they simply walked away. The four fully realized that they could very well be making a bit of fool of themselves if everything truly was on the up and up. They all agreed that they could not take the man at his word that he was the girl’s father. Things just didn’t add up. They also knew they had to act fast.
Were They Too Late?
As they headed back to the parking garage where they had spent the evening skateboarding, they knew one thing. They knew they had to step in and help even if it meant everything was actually all right. As they got closer to where the two men and the girl had been outside of the underground parking garage, they noticed that they were nowhere to be found. It didn’t take long for the team to realize that the men and the girl had most likely headed inside the parking garage. Were they too late? What would they discover when they made their way back inside the dark, vacant spot?
Calgary’s Dark Side
With sheer trepidation and bit of hope they were wrong about their suspicions, the teens continued on to go back inside. The parking garage they had been skateboarding at was underground at the Chinook Center. The teens had originally come there to have fun with friends. They had no idea that their evening would turn out to bring them face-to-face with the dark side of Calgary. What would they discover when they stepped back inside? They had to quickly force those thoughts out of their mind. They knew they had to pursue this and that it was worth any risks.
No Turning Back Now
They knew that they had to continue their pursuit. Inside, they secretly all wished they were wrong. But, they all agreed that it was worth the chance of potential danger. Once they walked into the underground parking garage, they knew there was no turning back. They pressed on to get to the bottom of the situation. They had no idea that they were walking into a problem that had been developing in their town. Underneath that Chinook Center was a hidden dark side, and they were about to confront it head on. Their only hope was that they were not too late.
Just A Group Of Friends
This group of friends had merely gotten together for the evening to have some fun. The underground parking garage made the perfect spot for skateboarding on a large, level lot of concrete without having to worry about traffic. But, they knew the sun had set and it was time to leave the hidden place. They didn’t feel like the area where they had chosen to skateboard together was safe as the night got darker. It was time to leave. So, why were these two men dragging a girl they claimed to be their daughter into this underground parking area so late at night? The question haunted them, and they had to find out.
Dark Underworld In Calgary
As the boys tried to figure out what was the right thing to do, they were somewhat unaware of their surroundings. It turns out that there had been a lot of uptick in criminal activity in the Southwest Calgary area lately. Police Officer Arthur Doner was on the case. He had been investigating the crime surge throughout the Calgary community, specifically in the area where the boys had seen the girl and the two men. Officer Doner had been a part of many sting operations in the area but had come out still looking for leads on crimes that had been committed.
Gang Activity Was A Possibility
At the root of all of the upswing in local crimes was potentially some very dangerous gangs. Police had arrested several rival gang members but were never able to stop the crimes entirely. Just as they would arrest one member, two more would pop up in their place to keep the crime spree going. Officer Doner continued his pursuit with no knowledge that there were four teenage boys who were about to confront the Calgary gang scene head on and without police cover. The four teens were unaware of what they were about to encounter as well. But, it was about to get real.
The Dark Parking Garage Was The Perfect Setting For A Crime
If you’re going to take part in gang and criminal activity, you’re going to seek out the darkest, most obscure location so you don’t get noticed. That’s exactly what these men were doing. They were heading with the girl to the underground parking lot. It was dark, hidden, and the perfect spot to get away with a crime. The boys also remembered seeing the security guards leave earlier as they ended their shift for the night, so they knew that the security guards would not be there to protect them. This was something the four teens had to face with no backup professional help.
Hidden, Out Of Sight And Ripe For Criminal Activity
It was the perfect setting for things done in the dark. After the security guards leave at night, young people sometimes hang out in the underground parking area since it’s easy to get away with behavior they want to stay hidden. Using the same reasoning as teens and young adults looking to get away with trouble, criminals also have their sights set on the garage to conduct illegal and shady acts. The boys knew that they were walking into the dark unaware of exactly how dangerous the situation was. They had already hesitated long enough and knew they had to do something even if meant doing it in the dark with no police cover.
Caught On Camera
The security guards had all gone home for the night, but that didn’t mean the boys were completely without surveillance. There was a Closed Circuit Television camera installed that was recording. The CCTV captured the two men as they were pacing back and forth. They appeared to be looking for something as they paced about the dark parking spaces. What were they looking for? It was almost as if they had been here before and knew that not only were the security guards gone for the night, but they also seemed to be aware that they were being seen by the camera.
Hiding Out Of Sight
As the two men paced back and forth, they appeared to be looking for a spot that was out of view of the camera. They still had the girl with them struggling to get free. She was probably becoming more and more fearful as they continued to bring her to darker and more hidden spots. After pacing for what seemed like an eternity, but was really just a few minutes, they seemed to have located a perfect place for the crime they were about to commit. If the girl was to break free, she would have to fight for her life with all of her might with no time to lose.
An Unlit Hidden Stairwell
If you’ve ever been in a dark, hidden stairwell, you know how creepy they can be. They make for a perfect set up to commit crime to go unnoticed. A hidden stairwell is exactly what the two men seemed to be looking for. They spotted a door the lead to stairs. Once they were through the door and into the stairwell, the CCTV would not be able to capture their acts. They took the girl and led her inside closing the door behind them. The three were now out of sight from anyone who could help. What was about to transpire was the more horrific part of the night.
Sneaking Into Action
The four teens in hot pursuit to uncover what was about to transpire and help the girl they suspected was in great danger, knew that they had to be stealth about their attack. They entered the dark, underground parking garage trying to stay as quite as they could. The parking spaces were empty which not only made it even more dark but also provided them no cars or obstacles to hide behind. It was a wide-open, dark, hidden spot. They knew they were on a very important mission and they could not blow their cover or all of them could be in danger.
Trapped Face-To-Face In The Dark
As the four boys tip-toed as quietly around as they possibly could, they felt vulnerable and scared. But, they chose to ignore their fear in exchange for a pursuit to find out what was going on and to help the girl. There were very few cars around at all, and the two men with the girl had seemingly vanished. The teens walked around until they noticed a door. They had no idea that the door they were about to enter was the same door the men and the girl had gone through just minutes prior to their arrival. They only knew they had to keep searching, and the door seemed like a likely target.
Fear Met Its Match
As fear gripped the teens, they knew they had to press on. They had no idea what to expect when they put their hands on the door to open it. They knew it was going to open up to a stairwell, but they had no idea how dark it would be. They gave each other a look as if to communicate that they all had to quickly prepare themselves for anything that could lie behind that door. Filled with fear and courage, the teen named Arnaud went for it and opened up the door as the other three prepared themselves for the worst.
Time To Act In The Dark
As they slowly pushed the door open, the teens were terrified as to what they were about to see. They knew that the girl was likely in serious danger. They knew it was now or never, and whatever they were about to witness would likely be gruesome or frightening. As Arnaud grabbed hold of the door handle to open it, they knew it was their time to act in the dark to shed some light on what was taking place under the parking garage in the dark depths of the stairwell. What they didn’t anticipate is how disturbing it would be.
Persistence Would Win
Whatever they were about to witness would be quite disturbing. At the moment they came face-to-face with the door that led to the stairwell where the men had taken the girl, they knew that they had to keep going until they were able to help her. They had a terrible gut-wrenching feeling that they may be too late. They worried that the girl would be in grave danger and in need of immediate help. They also knew they were the only ones who had seen the men and the girl which meant they were the only ones who could hep, and they would have to be persistent and ignore their fears.
A Dark, Gruesome Sight
As the teens continued their swift pursuit into the dark stairwell, they were unsure what they would discover. Finally, as they continued to get closer, they knew the girl was being harmed. The darkness veiled the fullness of the crime, but they could tell that what the men were doing to the young girl was not good. They thought to themselves, that what they were witnessing there in that dark stairwell could very well be more horrific than they could have ever imagined. Were they equipped to fight? At this point, they had no choice. There they were trapped in the stairwell forced to face their darkest fears to rescue a girl.
The Hidden Crime
The boys stood there not knowing what their next move should be. The stairwell was dark, but they could hear voices. Their sight was limited with the shroud of darkness closing in. They started to move slowly and carefully toward the voices. What they saw next was something they had never seen before in their lives. All that they could decipher with blackness all around them, was the shape of the men. Their instincts to turn around and try to help the girl had proven to be correct. But, what were they going to do now that they were trapped with the danger right in front of them?
Keep Going
They had no other choice but to keep going. They were surrounded by the dark of the enclosed stairwell at night. Inside were the four teens and the two men who had captured the struggling girl. The teens were terrified, but they knew that running away was not an option. They knew that if they chose to run for their own lives and safety now, they would be leaving the girl behind. For her, it was becoming very clear that she was in a fight for her life. They wouldn’t be able to live with themselves if they chose to turn and run away. So, they kept going in precise pursuit.
Could Not Believe Their Eyes
The teens had made the decision to pursue the men to get to the bottom of what was really going on and uncover the truth. Little did they know what a dreadfully shocking scene they would come upon as they opened up that stairwell door. What they saw in the shadows of the dark completely disgusted the four. It left them in complete shock and horror what they observed the men doing to the young girl. At that moment, they froze. No one had ever prepared them for how to handle such a situation. They were not sure what to do next.
Wrestling Giants
As they stood in the dark in horror not knowing what to do, the teens knew one thing. They knew that whatever they did next that they would need to act fast. They had caught the men red handed in a horrific criminal act, but their focus was on helping the girl as fast as they could. The four began to wrestle the strong men off of the young girl. The men were enraged at the sight of the teens and seemed to have extreme strength that was an unequaled match even though it was four on two. The teens gave it their all.
Fighting Goliath
As the four teens struggled with the two strong men, it seemed as though they were like a familiar story they had heard of a young shepherd boy named David fighting a giant named Goliath. The teens were fine, upstanding kids who had never been in trouble with the law and had never imagined coming upon a scene like they were currently faced with. They only knew they had to prevail to help set the girl free. The stronger of the two men eventually decided that he didn’t want to continue the fight. He began to walk away. The other man was slower to give up but gradually walked away as well.
One Final Angry Gesture
The struggle was intense, and it was very clear that the men did not want to give up the fight. But, they chose to walk away. Their exit was not a swift, gentle one. The men were angry and aggressive from the start and were not about to let the four teens have the upper hand. As the older man was turning to leave, he forcefully pushed the teen boy named Nimeya out of his way. As Nimeya caught his glance, he noticed that he had a disturbing smirk on his face as if to say that there was nothing the boys could do to stop them in their tracks.
It Wasn’t The End
As would be quite natural after experiencing what the four teens did that night, they felt afraid. They even felt intimidated by the two men whom they had ultimately scared away. But, they refused to allow the men to get away with their actions. They wanted nothing more than to make it clear to the two men that actions have consequences, and you cannot treat a young girl the way they were treating the girl that night. They simply could not get away with it. What the two men had done was wrong, and it would have to be stopped.
Quick Action
As the four skateboarding teens stood there fighting the two men off of the girl in that dark stairwell, they were determined. Even though the men had turned to walk away, the teens were not satisfied to let them get away. They realized that they had to stop the men right then and there. If they were to escape, they would probably never be found to pay the consequences for their actions. As the men turned to leave, three of the teens chased after them. The other boy stayed with the girl to make sure she was safe and to calm her down as she was very traumatized.
Can’t Outrun A Skateboarding Teen
The three teens started in hot pursuit of the two men to keep them from fleeing the scene of the crime. When the men realized they were being chased, they took off with even greater speed in an effort to get away. The two men and the three teens were running wildly fast through the darkened streets of Calgary. Remember that the boys were young and enjoyed skateboarding which meant they were in good shape and able to run fast. Their youthful fitness enabled them to catch up and corner the men who now realized they were caught with no way out.
Police Get Involved
As the teen boys were in hot pursuit of the two men, they had no idea that they were not entirely alone. That night, Officer Doner, who had been on the case to arrest gang members, had a tip. He received a call that two men he had been searching for months to arrest had been seen in the vicinity of the Chinook Center. The Officer had no idea that his job was already being done for him with the help of four innocent bystanders who had simply wanted to spend the evening skateboarding. The police officer was about to discover that he had help in cracking the case.
Without A Minute To Spare
Without a minute to spare, the officer arrived just in time. He headed for the Chinook Centre and turned on his sirens to blare. He sped in his squad car through the streets of Calgary where just moments earlier the boys had been chasing after the two men. He knew the men he would find there were dangerous, so he radioed in for backup. He did not yet know that the men had already been chased down and halted by three teens who had left a girl in the safe keeping of their other friend. They were all about to meet.
The Search Ended Quickly
It didn’t take long after the officer ended his radio call for backup that his search would be over. Before police backup would be able to arrive with reinforcements, the man he had been searching for would almost run directly into the side of his police car. The teens had chased after the two men until they had nowhere left to go except straight into the arms of the police. The police officer had help with the capture even though he was completely unaware that the teens had spent their evening in danger. Now, the teens had powerful backup to help.
They Put Up A Fight
The two men were no strangers to street fighting. They knew they were being pursued by the teens, and they were prepared to fight. Even though they felt trapped, the older man was still fighting. He became extremely violent. He tore the skateboard out of one of the teen’s hands and lifted it with the intent of using it as a weapon as he kept up the aggressive fight against the teens who had chased him and his partner in crime down. The men may have had experience fighting and being angrily aggressive to get their way, but they had no idea that they had met their match.
No Way Out
As the men continued to be aggressive and attempting to fight their way out of the situation, they realized they were trapped. They were not about to let the four skateboarding teens know that they had won. The two men were not afraid of teens on skateboards. They were not afraid to fight with all of their might to escape. What they didn’t know was that Officer Doner was close behind. The brave teen boys did not realize this either as they continued to hold their ground to keep the men from getting away. Would the officer arrive in time, or would the men out power the teens?
Police Arrived Just In Time
Thankfully, Police Officer Doner arrived in the knick of time. He quickly showed up in his police car with not a minute to spare. When the teens saw the officer they were very much relieved. The officer had arrived at the right time to save the boys from getting into even more danger. He rushed up to the scene so quickly that he barely had time to stop his vehicle as he jumped out unexpectedly and tackled the man to the ground. The timing was so close that just a minute longer, and the boys may have been in serious harm.
Backup Arrives
The police backup that the officer had called for hadn’t even had time to arrive on the scene before the officer was lunging for the man to tackle him to the ground. Officer Doner handcuffed the older man as soon as backup got there. The other man had managed to flee the scene and was nowhere to be found. The teens immediately began worrying about their buddy and the girl they had left behind out of harm’s way. What if the man was heading back to put them in danger? There was no time to waste. An arrest was made, but there was still one man on the loose.
Teens Fled The Scene
Out of instinct and concern for their friend and the girl, as soon as the police arrived on the scene and had the older man in cuffs, the three teens took off. They were headed back to the underground parking garage where they had left their friend to watch over the girl. They were concerned that the man who had gotten away may be headed back towards them. They were also a bit scared of all of the police presence once backup arrived. The teens realized that one of the men they had been fighting had been caught, and their concerns turned back to the girl in danger.
Safe At Last
The girl had been through a traumatic night. The teen who stayed behind sat with her. He stayed by her side until police arrived to keep her out of harm’s way. The teen sat by her and comforted her until he knew she was safe. The teens knew they had listened to their suspicions that something wasn’t right and kept after it until they knew the girl was safe and one of the men was caught. But, they had no idea who they had been wrestling with all night. The teens had been face-to-face with a notorious gang leader in the area.
Police Help The Girl
Help had finally arrived in the form of police. They arrived to the stairwell in the underground garage where the boy was sitting with the girl. To her, the teen had been her hero, and now more heroes arrived in uniform. When the teens saw that the scene was secured by police and everything was calmer and under control, they knew it was time for them to finally leave to go home. They thought everything was a huge nightmare but were glad they could help the girl. They thought it was over, but they were wrong. Their phones started to ring.
Endless Phone Calls
After their night of heroism, the teens thought their troubles were over. They were happy they were able to help keep a girl from being killed or from enduring worse acts against her than what they had witnessed. But, it was only the beginning. The phones began to ring. The calls were relentlessly coming day and night. The teens were frightened. They didn’t want to answer the phone calls for fear that they might have been confused as perpetrators or gang members instead of the heroes that they were. They thought they were in trouble. They thought the police may have mistook them for the bad guys. So, they let their phones continue to ring.
Answer The Call
Enough was enough. The calls kept coming. The teens were afraid they were being mistaken for gang members whom they had fought that night. The ringing became a nuisance, but they feared answering. Finally, they determined that the bravery they used that night to save the girl would have to suffice. They decided that the only way to know for sure why the calls kept coming would be to answer the call. With trepidation, they decided to answer the next time they received the phone call and deal with whatever consequences may lie ahead of them. The next time the phone rang, they answered.
Why Were They Calling?
The teens kept getting phone calls from the police. They each feared what would happen if they picked up the phone to answer. But, they eventually picked up the next time the phone rang. What they discovered was that now the Chief of police was involved. Chief Constable Roger Chaffin had been trying to reach the teens. But, he had not been calling to arrest them. He, instead, had been calling to congratulate them for their bravery. They knew the teens had stepped in with great bravery that night to help them catch a gang member the police had been trying to track down.
A Pleasant Surprise
Once they pressed through their terror and picked up the phone, they were pleasantly surprised. They learned that the chief of police did not want to arrest them. Instead, he wanted to thank them for being so brave that horribly frightening night. He informed the teens that they had helped them get a gang member off of the streets of Calgary. They were grateful and wanted to congratulate and thank the teens for their bravery. All of their worries had come to nothing but praise for a job well done. The boys knew that they had only done what they knew was right.
Take Down Of A Gang Member
As scary as the night was, the teens had no idea the level of what they had done. They knew they had helped a girl get free from two men who were intending only to harm her. But, there was something bigger that they didn’t know yet. The man that the teens had chased down was a notorious gang member that police had been hunting down for quite sometime. The man they chased down was the head of the FOB gang. FOB stands for Fresh Off the Boat, and this specific gang has been wanted by police. The officers were quite happy with the four teen boys and their heroic actions.
Long List Of Crimes
The man in question, whom the teens had chased down that dreadful night, was very dangerous. He was the head of a gang who was responsible for a long list of criminal activity. The gang was linked to a few murders and other brutal criminal activity in the Calgary area. The leader of the gang had been actively pursued for quite awhile. Police had never been able to put their hands on him until that night when the skateboarding teens jumped into action. The teens had no idea who they were pursuing. They just knew it was the right thing to do.
Will The Gang Leader Talk?
Once the police had the leader of the FOB gang in their custody, they knew they had to handle the situation with great care. If they asked the right questions, the man just might talk and reveal to law enforcement the names of other notorious gang members who have been causing trouble in the area for quite some time. Thankfully, the man was willing to share important details about gang activity, crimes that had been committed, and even to blow the whistle by naming names of other gang members. With that information, police were then able to track down and put a stop to additional problems.
Time To Testify
Because of the actions of four heroic skateboarding boys one night in Calgary, police were able to capture the leader of a dangerous gang. Once he was in their custody, the man was more than willing to blow the lid off of crimes that police in the area had been trying to crack for years. The man shared information about gang activity in Calgary. Based on what he told them, the police were able to arrest many more trouble making gang members in Calgary. None of this would have been possible without the help of four teens who were just out to have a fun evening of skateboarding.
Honoring The Heroes
With the heroic night behind them, and several gang members behind bars, it was now time for the four teens to receive their honor. The four teen skateboarding boys were invited to attend the Chief’s Award Gala so they could be honored and celebrated for their heroic actions in the face of grave danger. Because of them, the girl’s life had been spared. Because of the four teens, the police now had more information on who to go after to bring down the Calgary organized crime. While the police do not advise that unarmed citizens take the law in the own hands, they agree that the four teens are the definition of heroes.
Simply Doing The Right Thing
The four teens never let all of the praise for their heroism go to their heads. They received the honors with humility. Each of the four teens realized that the actions they took that night in Calgary was simply the right thing to do. They could have easily shrugged off the man’s comments when he claimed to be the girl’s dad and headed home for a good night’s sleep. But, it would have haunted them for the rest of their lives wondering what happened to that girl. All they hope is that someone will step in to help them if they are ever in need of help.
Teen Inspired
These four teenagers thought that they were simply out for a good time skateboarding with friends. They, however, had been in the right place at the right time. Better yet, they did not ignore that gut-level nagging that something just didn’t seem right with the situation when they came upon the two men and a teenage girl struggling to get away. Their actions of bravery that night is a true inspiration. What they did took incredible courage. They looked fear in the face and did not back down. They could have simply walked away and gone safely home. Instead, they did what was right.
What If They Hadn’t Stepped In To Help?
The four teens became heroes that dreadful night in Calgary. The thought that kept them going and made them determined not to give up was, “What would happen to the girl if they walked away?” The thought haunted them immediately as they turned in their tracks to investigate what was going on. In the moment, they had no idea that they were confronting a dangerous criminal head on. They try not to think about what could have happened to them as well. They all four acted in unity to do the right thing and make sure the girl was safe.
A Trophy For A Job Well Done
At the Chief’s Award Gala, the teens were presented with a trophy for their service. They received the award in great humility. Their only request was that they hoped others would do the same if any of them were ever in danger. Of course, they also had a bit of fun sharing their award to their social media pages. They are still teenagers after all. But, these four teenagers are the kind of youth that everyone hopes is skateboarding nearby if they ever fall into trouble. All four of them ran and skated into what could have had an even more devastating ending.
Identifying The Teens
With great humility and a bit of caution not to make their names and whereabouts too widely known, the teens were named for their bravery. The teenagers who saved the night and brought a gang to justice are Carsyn Wright, Arnaud Nimenya, James Hielema, and Starlyn Rivas-Perez. All they had intended to do that night was skateboard with friends. The night turned out much different, and they ended up saving a young lady’s life. Of course, they wish they could have acted even faster to save her from being savagely attacked by two gangsters in the process. But, they will always be heroes.
Chief’s Awards Gala
The Calgary Police Chief’s Awards Gala is held with the intention of recognizing brave individuals of the community. It is intended to honor those who step up to help. Honorees must exemplify exceptional behavior especially when there is no personal gain expected. Those who are honored at this Gala are those who put into action what it means to be good citizens of the Calgary community. Carsyn, Arnaud, James, and Starlyn certainly qualified as citizens who stepped up at the right time to help. It may be hard for the Calgary Police Chief’s Awards Gala recipients who follow to match this level of bravery.
Calgary Police Chief Honors Teens
At the Awards Gala, Calgary Police Chief Roger Chaffin gave a very special speech. In his speech, he personally thanked the citizens of Calgary and gave a personal thanks to the teens for such bravery that they had displayed. The Police Chief said, “Nobody gets their day started thinking this is going to happen to them, that they’re going to be involved in one of these things.” But, when the teen boys were presented with the potential danger, they made an instantaneous pivotal decision to not turn away but to instead rush to help. For that, the citizens of Calgary and the girl are forever grateful.
Similar Acts Of Bravery
While the four teen skateboarders’ story is an example of high bravery, there are others who choose to be brave in the face of fear. For Kayla Rose, a New Jersey teenager, it was a typical morning. She lived in a town called Irvington, which is a fairly small suburb community of just a little less than 55,000 residents. She left to take Milkshake, her dog, for a walk. Milkshake is not a guard dog by any means but rather a small friendly bichon-frise and Poodle mix. Nothing was out of the ordinary about this, since she usually would walk Milkshake before leaving to go to school for the day.
Kayla Heard Something
As Kayla went about her relaxing duty of walking her dog before school, she was enjoying time with Milkshake, her dog. She had absolutely no idea about what was about to happen next. She was casually walking along the path she took during her dog walking time. But, this time something was very strange. As she walked down the sidewalk, she heard a strange sound. It sounded like intense scratching, and it was coming from inside a car she had just come upon during her innocent walk with her dog. She was very unsure of what to do. Should she walk faster and get away, or should she investigate to see if she could help?
She Decided To Investigate
As Kayla briefly slowed down to gather her thoughts, she decided to investigate the scratching sound a little closer. She was very startled but mustered up enough courage to nervously ask, “Hello?” Hoping she had imagined the sound or that it was nothing, she was taken back when she received a response. She heard a voice coming from inside the car. It was a man yelling, “Is there anybody that can help me?” Kayla was terrified but knew she could not walk away and ignore this plea for help. She quickly contacted her mom who called emergency services. She wanted to help, but she was scared and felt as though the trained professionals would be able to help better than she could. But, she stayed until help arrived.
Help Arrived
Kayla waited near the car with her dog until emergency services help arrived in the form of firefighters. They were able to force open the trunk where the man was trapped by using special equipment. When they opened the trunk, Kayla was even more astounded at what she saw. The man was inside the trunk with his wrists bound together with duct tape. He was extremely grateful to be set free from the confines of the trunk. But, Kayla and the emergency helpers had a lot of questions. How did the man get stuck inside a trunk in need of help?
Carjacked And Grateful
Eventually, the police arrived on the scene and questioned the man who was cold, shaken up, but so grateful to be set free. He told police that he had been carjacked about 12 hours prior. He was forced into the trunk of the car and left there overnight. He was only wearing a hoodie and sweatpants with temperatures dipping to about 10 degrees overnight. The freezing wind would have blown to make him feel even colder. Had Kayla not walked by the car when she did, it could have ended much more tragically or even deadly for this man. He was so grateful.
From Carjacking To Freezing Temps And A Trip To The Hospital
Since the man had endured below freezing temperatures overnight in the trunk of a car, he was taken to the hospital for medical attention. As Kayla, her mom, and her dog Milkshake stood watching the ambulance take him away to the hospital, Kayla’s mother told her daughter what a hero she had been. She probably saved his life by calling for help when she did. He would not have survived much longer in such cold temperatures trapped inside the trunk of a car with no food or water and no blankets to keep warm. Kayla was there at the right time and took action.
More Crimes Means More Heroes
The victim of the carjacking that Kayla helped to rescue is unfortunately not the only crime victim in America. The country has a much higher rate of violent crime than several western countries, such as Australia, Germany, or the UK. The reason for the high rate of violence is due to many factors. One factor is poverty rate. Another factor is how crimes are punished and what laws are in place to prevent crimes from happening in the first place. Whatever the reason, while more crimes mean more danger, what sometimes happens is that more crimes sometimes means more heroes. At least that is how the next story worked out in Seattle.
Seattle Scene Of Violent Crimes
The City of Seattle, Washington in the United States of America, offers one of the most breathtaking scenic views. With mountainous backdrops, eclectic citizens, and an iconic Space Needle architecture, the city looks appealing. It is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest and in the state, even though its population is only 700,000. It seems like a great place to visit. That is, until you walk the streets at night. Seattle has a history of some very disturbing violent crimes. You may be shocked at some of the crimes that have been reported in the city of Seattle that demand a need for a hero.
The George Weyerhaeuser Headlines
It’s not a name that rolls off of the tongue with ease, but it is a name Seattle residents will never forget. The Weyerhaeuser family were a prominent success in the lumber industry. They had a son named George who attended school in Tacoma. One day as he walked home from school, he went missing. The family was understandably distraught at the disappearance of their young son, and then the news got worse. They received a letter demanding $200,000 ransom in exchange for the boy’s life. All of the money would need to be delivered in unmarked bills within five days.
Child Was Kidnapped
The family discovered that their son had apparently been kidnapped, and the kidnapper had written them a letter filled with demands. Not only were they to bring $200,000 in unmarked bills within five days of time, the kidnappers had additional demands as well. He requested that the parents communicate by posting ads in the personal section of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The father of the child was told to check into the Ambassador Hotel in Seattle under a false name and then wait for instructions. The kidnappers would then communicate somehow to let them know what the next steps would be. The family felt they had no choice but to comply with the kidnapper’s demands.
Kidnapper Demands Got Stranger
As the family desperately wanted their son returned to them unharmed, they were willing to do whatever the kidnappers demanded of them. But, their requests turned even stranger. The kidnappers contacted George’s father to tell him that he needed to drive along Highway 99, pull over, and walk out of his car backwards leaving the ransom money inside his car. The dad did everything he was asked to do, and the kidnappers released his son to him. The family was relieved and exuberantly happy to have their son back safely, but knew that this kind of trauma was not acceptable to dismiss. They didn’t let the incident simply end. They wanted justice. So, they asked authorities to help.
FBI And Police Involvement
George was home safe, but the family did not want the story to end there. The kidnappers had brought on a great deal of trauma through the ordeal, and the family wanted justice. To bring the kidnapping matter to justice, the FBI and the police became involved. They made the decision to track down the criminals whatever it took. One method they chose to use was to follow the serial numbers on the ransom money that the boy’s dad had paid out. After searching for where the money’s serial numbers showed up, the law enforcement were able to track down the kidnappers and bring about justice in the case.
Who Were The Kidnappers?
As the FBI and the local police attempted to track down the serial numbers on the unmarked bills George’s dad had paid in ransom to get his son back, they had no idea where it was going to lead them. As it turns out, a couple of young men had met in the Idaho State penitentiary. Once they were out, they concocted a scheme, along with one of their wives, to kidnap the child and get money. The two young men were William Dainard and Harmon Waley. In the end, they were sentenced to a collective 135 years in prison. As for the child, George managed to leave the trauma behind him and eventually climbed the ladder of success to be named the chairman of the board of his family’s lumber company.
The Brutal Truth
In each of these three stories, the brutal, harsh reality is that crimes happen every day. Whether you are a gang leader in Calgary, a carjacker in New Jersey, or a kidnapper in Seattle, violent crimes are far too common. Statistics show that in America, on average, every 73 seconds someone becomes a victim of some kind of assault. Thankfully, in the cases of the four skateboarding teens, the teenage girl named Kayla, and a family in Seattle not willing to rest until justice was served, there was a happy ending. For the rest, their hero that they needed to step up to help never showed up.
Youth At Risk
The numbers of violent crime statistics is alarming. These numbers don’t lie. They indicate that there is a crucial need to curve acts of violence immediately. But, who is more at risk? The numbers show that most assaults happen to younger people. Individuals who are between the ages of 12 and 34 are at much higher risk to have a terrible criminal assault happen to them. More than 60% of all violent crimes happen to victims who are in that age category. Sadly, most of these victims won’t have the honor of meeting a brave hero willing to risk their own life to save them.
Women Are At Higher Risk
While age plays an important role in determining who is at the highest risk to become a victim of a violent crime, there are other factors that are equally important. Numbers also indicate that women are at a higher risk than men for becoming a victim of assault. One in every Six American women have been a victim in an attempted or a completed assault. More than 17 million women have become victims of sexual assault since 1998. While women are at a much higher risk than men, this does not mean that males are completely safe to walk the streets unafraid.
Men and Boys Are Victims Too
Being between the ages of 12 to 34 and being female puts you at the highest risk of experiencing a violent assault. But, that doesn’t mean males are completely risk free. In America, one out of 33 males have been a victim of sexual assault. And, that number grows larger every day with more young men stepping up and admitting to crimes committed against them that they were too afraid to mention. Who knows how many more young men have been a victim of a violent criminal assault and left it unreported, so no one will ever know except for the victim and the one committing the assault.
Victims Are At A Higher Risk For Suicide And PTSD
With violent criminal acts gong unpunished and left with no brave hero to rush in to stop them, the victims are left to live with the haunting trauma. The fact is that many victims often experience long-term effects from the horror they went through. Victims of violent crimes or assault have a higher risk of suicide after all is said and done. If they don’t choose to take their own life to rid themselves of the nagging mental pain and memories, they often experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD, panic and anxiety disorders, severe distress, and an increased risk of using illicit substances as a way to cope.