SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — Video shows a man with a large knife stalking another man who is running away in a San Francisco neighborhood.
“It was really scary, it was like when time slows down and you’re like, ‘Is this really happening?’ Doesn’t seem real,” Skylar Givens said.
Givens says his attacker is homeless and had recently taken over an area across from his family’s apartment.
While the software engineer and his wife were walking their dog Tuesday afternoon, the unknown man laying on the sidewalk became aggressive and pulled out the weapon from his bag.
“He pulled out this big knife. It was like 10 or 12 inches and thankfully I had a taser with me and I ended up firing the taser at him so I could get away and run away quickly,” Givens said.
The high voltage shocks heard on the video weren’t enough to keep the man from approaching. Givens was forced to run behind a security gate at his home.
“If I didn’t react in that way, I very well could have been stabbed,” Givens said.
Givens says the attacker was arrested shortly after police arrived.
After living and working in San Francisco for nearly a decade, Givens has noticed a recent increase in homeless encampments and drug use in his neighborhood. He’s worried people who enjoy the park may encounter a similar nightmare and may not be able to defend themselves.
“I feel a little less safe than I used to, as I’ve been walking around throughout the day. It’s something I think about all the time and I’m not going to be able to go outside again without thinking about that,” Givens said.
San Francisco police have not yet responded to a request for information on the attack.
Download the WAVY News App to keep up with the latest news, weather and sports from WAVY-TV 10. Available in both the Apple and Google Play stores.
