#1,636 - Should you intervene? Recent Portland attacks reflect need for bystander training amidst cratering public safety

Sarah Truax had never been to Montavilla Park, so when she pulled into the parking lot just after 4 p.m. on March 15 with her 6-year-old and 3-year-old sons, she made sure to survey the area.

Everything appeared safe as another family enjoyed the early spring weather.

As Truax and her children headed to a grassy area in the park, she said she felt someone following her. She turned around and a woman who appeared to be suffering from a delusion that Truax’s boys were her own began yelling obscenities.

Truax held her 3-year-old and put her 6-year-old behind her as the woman punched her about a dozen times. When she called for help to the nearby family, they did not intervene and left the area.

In the aftermath – Truax managed to hustle her boys back to the car, drive away and call 911 — Truax has wondered what else she or the other family could have done to stop the attack.

Portland police advise people to call 911 first, but as the bureau deals with low staffing, they don’t always come to the scene. In the absence of an immediate police response, numerous organizations teach bystanders how they can safely intervene.

“Thank goodness I was able to get away and I didn’t need anyone, but this is a big issue because, what if I had?” Truax said.

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