A shocking purported hatchet attack was halted Tuesday after good Samaritans jumped into gear to stop a knife-wielding man screaming inside a Planet Fitness in Corona, California.
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The shocking scene, captured on video, shows the alleged attacker holding a bloodied victim while he screams and bears what appears to be both a knife and a hatchet.
The 30-year-old suspect, Ronald Chand, has been accused of attacking the 41-year-old victim in the parking lot before the horrific interaction spilled over into the gym, according to KTTV-TV.
The altercation reportedly kicked off outside when the victim reportedly started filming the suspect, who was allegedly behaving erratically.
That’s when the accused allegedly blocked the victim’s car and stabbed him before the two ended up inside the gym. Patrons working out were stunned to hear the screaming unfold and jumped into gear to help the victim.
“I was on the stairclimber, and I heard screaming behind me,” John Keene told KTTV-TV. “At first, I thought it was an argument, so I kind of ignored it, and after about a minute, it got louder, so I turned off the machine and got down to walk over there.”
Watch the entire scene unfold:
That’s when he saw the victim “covered in blood” and joined three other men in the gym to investigate further. The victim being held by the accused suddenly found an opportunity to slam the knife-wielding man to the ground — and Keene and the other men promptly piled on top of him.
“We all just bounced on him and disarmed him and held him down for the police,” he said. “It kinda happened fast.”
In fact, Keane said he found himself boldly taking action before he even thought about it. For anyone wondering what motivated him, he said it was simply the right thing to do.
“If it was any of my loved ones, my wife or my kids, I would want somebody to stand in, so I just think that’s what people should do,” Keene said.
Corona Police Department officials said the victim was hospitalized with significant but not life-threatening injuries and has since been released.
Chand was arrested after the incident.
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