27 April 2010

Death of a good samaritan



Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax was stabbed at about 7:20 a.m. on April 18 as he tried to help a woman being threatened by a knife-wielding man.

Surveillance video from an apartment building captured Tale-Yax chasing the attacker before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Both the woman and attacker fled.

Over the next hour and 20 minutes, more than 25 people walked by and did nothing.

By the time paramedics arrived, it was too late and Tale-Yax was dead.

Most ignored him.

Some stared at him lying on the pavement.

One person even took a picture with his cell phone.

Another man rolled him over, exposing his bloody stab wounds, but then he walked away.

This took place in Queens, New York but it could have happened anywhere. No one place has the monopoly on the bad side of human nature.

I only hope that the people who passed Take-Yax by do not meet the same fate

12 comments:

syncopated eyeball said...

That is so sad! And horribly unsurprising.

Knatolee said...

Pretty horrible. And I see Toronto just had a similar event that fortunately did not end in death:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/800974--why-did-nobody-help-asks-mugged-man-79

CalumCarr said...

Jams, I didn't notice that you had posted about this too. Mine is here

James Higham said...

Most ignored him.

This is the bit I fail to understand. Where are the Good Samaritans?

CherryPie said...

I don't understand why the person with the mobile didn't phone the emergency services rather than photograph him...

jams o donnell said...

It's an appalling state of affairs. Here's hoping all of us would do different

Claude said...

I didn't know about that Toronto story, Knatolee. I always travel alone. Never at night, of course. What I find is that people are very helpful with an older lady. I always get a subway seat. I think I would be frightened in New York.

jams o donnell said...

It's good to hear that people are considerate towards you Claudia

Claude said...

Well...The bad Toronto incident mentioned by Knatolee is all over the news presently. I'll be extra careful from now on. But I've been really well treated so far. Last year, I had to use a cane for a while, and people went out of their way to help me when I was shopping.

jams o donnell said...

It's wise to be careful Claudia but it's heartening to hear that people are so considerate

susan said...

A long time ago when I still lived in Toronto I made a trip to NYC and had friends tell me stepping over or around drunks lying on the sidewalk was correct City behaviour. The separation from our natural instincts of kindness has become a very unfortunate norm when it should be considered shameful.

jams o donnell said...

It is shameful that we can be conditioned to act like that Susan