gun Archives | Stop Street Harassment

Harasser Shoots Man for Telling Him to Stop Disrespecting His Wife

July 25, 2016 By HKearl

“Shortly before midnight on Sunday, officers say Bradley Mills was outside his home on Mason Avenue [in Florida] with his wife. Mills says he saw and heard two men two houses down staring and whistling at his wife, and told them to stop disrespecting her.

According to the police report, Mills’ wife went inside, and when Mills followed, he heard one of the men shout after him. He allegedly ignored him and kept walking, but turned when the man called out again and saw the man holding a gun, which he shot towards the ground. Then, Mills says the man shot several times at him while following him towards his house. Two of the bullets hit Mills, and he told his wife to call 911.

Authorities say they tracked down the shooter and identified him as Rolando Fernandez Rodriquez. He was arrested at his home on Pine Avenue in Haines City.

Mills was treated for two gunshot wounds at the Heart of Florida Hospital. He is expected to be okay. Rodriquez was transported to the Polk County Jail and charged with Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree.”

Bradley Mills did everything right as a witness to street harassment. The scary reality is, you never know which harasser will escalate — some will escalate if you ignore, if you speak back assertively (as he did), or if you lash out. All we can do is make the best decision we can in the moment and try to stay safe.

I am grateful he told the harassers they were disrespectful and I’m relieved he will recover from his injuries.

Street Harasser in Los Angeles Shot a Woman at a Bus Stop

March 28, 2016 By HKearl

Last night two teenage girls were at the Pico-Union bus stop when two men pulled up and the driver started “flirting” with the girls (according to My News LA). However, I’m quite certain they were harassing and perhaps even threatening them because one of the girls called her mother. The mother confronted the driver, who shot her twice in the lower abdomen and also shot one of the girls in the leg. They both had stable signs when taken to the hospital and the suspect has not been caught yet.

Street harassment IS serious and the feelings of entitlement that can go along with it are dangerous. This is not flirting (consensual) or a compliment. This is harassment, it’s predatory, and it can escalate quickly.

I wish the woman & teenager a speedy recovery.

H/t Soraya Chemaly

A Trip to the Store

September 11, 2009 By Contributor

I live in a suburban neighborhood in Portland, OR. I was walking alone to a corner store a few blocks from my house, when I saw a group of four young men standing in front of the door. I heard them saying nasty things under their breath as I moved past them into the store but I just ignored it. They began following me around the store through the aisles. I made a purchase and walked out, and they followed me. Still, I said nothing and just kept walking.

They began to follow me down the street and started yelling, “You think you’re too good to talk to us, bitch?” Then they began threatening to rape me, screaming, “I’ll stick my dick up your ass! You’ll be even quieter with 4 cocks in your mouth!” I couldn’t believe it, I hadn’t done or said anything at all, my only apparent crime was walking into a store.

I was so scared as they followed me down the dark street, I was shaking. I began looking for houses with lights on inside so I could run up and bang on the door for help. Finally they stopped and began to walk in the other direction. I started running and didn’t stop until I got home where I locked the doors, got out my gun and called my husband. He came home with some male friends and they went back up to the store to look for the men but they were gone. I haven’t walked up to that store since.

I’m scared to walk around my own neighborhood unless I’m carrying my gun. That’s what its come to. I’d like to think this was an isolated incident but similar things have happened to me before. I guess that’s what you get for simply being female. I don’t believe that violence should be answered with more violence, but God help the next man that does it.

– anonymous

Location: Portland, OR

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