Washington Self-Defense: A stranger assaulted a woman who was walking in downtown Tacoma, charges allege :: 03/03/2020

A woman was assaulted by a stranger while she walked to her apartment Saturday in downtown Tacoma, court records allege.

Pierce County prosecutors charged the 24-year-old man with second-degree assault for the attack, which police said happened in the 400 block of Sixth Avenue:

Charging papers give this account:

The man grabbed the woman’s neck and tried to push her down as she fought him off.

“She stated that she was walking to her apartment when the defendant, a stranger to her, appeared from a dark corner behind her and placed both of his hands around her neck and squeezed forcefully,” the declaration for determination of probable cause said.

Another man saw the attack from a nearby apartment, called 911, grabbed a gun and ran to help.

He yelled for the suspect to let go of the woman, and the attacker did so when he saw the gun.

The suspect flailed his arms and yelled at the man with the gun, instead.

Then police arrived and detained the suspect. He repeated a sexual comment several times and at some point lunged at officers and yelled: “I am God.”

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article240815906.html