A brave woman in Washington, D.C. confronted her would-be assailant who tried to rob her at gunpoint in broad daylight.
Around 3:20 pm on Aug. 23, Iris Bond Gill was looking through her purse on the street in D.C. after getting out of her vehicle. Suddenly, a hooded male approached her, pointing a gun at her under his sweatshirt.
Stunned, Bond Gill screamed and dropped her purse, putting her hands up and backing into the middle of the road. She recalls the man saying “I’ll shoot you” and “give me your keys.”
Seconds after the initial shock, Bond Gill seemed to regain her composure and decided she was not about to let this criminal get away with threatening and robbing her.
“What the f***? NO!” said Bond Gill, turning to confront her attacker.
“Shoot me!” she said, almost taunting the hooded male, who began backing away, surprised by her reaction. He approached once more, gesturing for Bond Gill to hand over the purse that lay by her feet. Bond Gill refused, yelling at him and clapping her hands, causing him to turn and run away without taking anything from her.
The entire incident was captured by a surveillance camera.
They say you never know how you’ll react until you’re in the moment.
This video is making the rounds, showing a woman standing her ground to an attempted armed suspect. I spoke w/the victim today, who’s not encouraging this response. I’ll have her message on @fox5dc @ 4, 5 & 6PM pic.twitter.com/7Bc0uNOA1K— Stephanie Ramirez (@RamirezReports) August 26, 2022
Bond Gill was later interviewed by Fox 5, who she told, “You know, it’s really complicated to think about now. I don’t exactly remember, but I know – I knew I was in danger. And so I just threw off my bag and just prepared to be confrontational.”
The woman, who has a history of working in education, noted that she has worked with a lot of young people like her attacker in the past.
“I’ve seen the video and, to be honest, I saw a young man in front of me. And I saw in him, I think what I’ve seen in a lot of young people I’ve worked with over the years. And in some way, I think I went into almost a chastising mode with him as well,” she said.
Bond also said that she does not encourage people to react the way she did. Police often recommend complying in situations like this and handing over your purse, wallet, etc. to prevent serious escalation.
