This past weekend I was at a Ross store here in Las Vegas with two or my Aunts, my mother and her fiance. As we walking throught the parking lot back to the car, a homeless man approached us and asked if "we had any cash to spare." I was standing in between him and the rest of my party, it was obvious this man was drunk or under the influence of some substance so I said "sorry sir can't help you."
We continued walking, but he began to close the distance between. He began harassing the women in our group for money/change etc. I told him again to leave them alone, and that we had nothing for him. At this point he became very irate. He began yelling, and making threatening gestures. He was wearing a large winter coat over a hoodie he also had on, so I was totally unsure of whether or not he could have a weapon concealed. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE THAT I WAS NOT ARMED, BECAUSE ON THIS MORNING WE WOULD BE ATTENDING A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME ON A SCHOOL CAMPUS = NO WEAPONS. I DID have a pocket knife I always carry, and was prepared to use it if the situation demanded.
So we're nearly to our vehicle and this man has continued to follow us. I told him to leave or I was going to call the police. He became very angry when I said this and quickened his pace walking directly at me. I was very nervous the way he kept putting his hands into his pockets, it was unsettling. I told my mother's fiance to call 911 and I pulled the knife from my pocket but didn't open it yet, as he continued to approach me. I put my weak hand up and again told him to " STOP, you need to leave." By now, my mother's fiance was already speaking to the 911 operator giving a description of the man. He came within about 6 feet of me, THEN I opened the knife. He stopped and turned towards my mother's fiance on the phone. I told him to get in the car and lock the doors, he did. So I'm standing outside the car with this individual who still is not leaving. I have an open knife in my hand, and I'm continuing to give this man verbal commands to leave, keeping him about 6 feet away, but he's pacing back and forth and weaving through the cars in the parking lot like he thinks I'll lose track of him. A moment later my mother's fiance rolls his window down and says "The police are on their way."
Finally this guy loses his steam, he spits towards me, then turns and starts to walk away. I waited until the PD showed up and I explained what happened, we gave them a description of the man and which direction he headed. The officer asked me if the vagrant had any weapons, I told him I didn't see any, but it wouldn't have been hard for him to hide one. Then he shook my hand, and told my mother she had a good kid and sent us on our way. My Aunts were quite flustered, having never experienced anything like this but we made it away safe and sound without incident.
We continued walking, but he began to close the distance between. He began harassing the women in our group for money/change etc. I told him again to leave them alone, and that we had nothing for him. At this point he became very irate. He began yelling, and making threatening gestures. He was wearing a large winter coat over a hoodie he also had on, so I was totally unsure of whether or not he could have a weapon concealed. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE THAT I WAS NOT ARMED, BECAUSE ON THIS MORNING WE WOULD BE ATTENDING A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME ON A SCHOOL CAMPUS = NO WEAPONS. I DID have a pocket knife I always carry, and was prepared to use it if the situation demanded.
So we're nearly to our vehicle and this man has continued to follow us. I told him to leave or I was going to call the police. He became very angry when I said this and quickened his pace walking directly at me. I was very nervous the way he kept putting his hands into his pockets, it was unsettling. I told my mother's fiance to call 911 and I pulled the knife from my pocket but didn't open it yet, as he continued to approach me. I put my weak hand up and again told him to " STOP, you need to leave." By now, my mother's fiance was already speaking to the 911 operator giving a description of the man. He came within about 6 feet of me, THEN I opened the knife. He stopped and turned towards my mother's fiance on the phone. I told him to get in the car and lock the doors, he did. So I'm standing outside the car with this individual who still is not leaving. I have an open knife in my hand, and I'm continuing to give this man verbal commands to leave, keeping him about 6 feet away, but he's pacing back and forth and weaving through the cars in the parking lot like he thinks I'll lose track of him. A moment later my mother's fiance rolls his window down and says "The police are on their way."
Finally this guy loses his steam, he spits towards me, then turns and starts to walk away. I waited until the PD showed up and I explained what happened, we gave them a description of the man and which direction he headed. The officer asked me if the vagrant had any weapons, I told him I didn't see any, but it wouldn't have been hard for him to hide one. Then he shook my hand, and told my mother she had a good kid and sent us on our way. My Aunts were quite flustered, having never experienced anything like this but we made it away safe and sound without incident.