What would you do if someone pushed your off your bike and tried to steal it? Would you fight back like this army veteran or would you just let them take it?
When US Army veteran Brandon Jenkins, 26, pulled up at the traffic lights in Mesa, Arizona, he wasn’t expecting to be attacked by a man who wanted to steal his bike and make a getaway from police.
But the would-be thief, Michael McDonald, 31, picked on the wrong guy and the Afghanistan war veteran bravely fought him off, forcing him to return to his white van.
“One minute this dude is trying to rip me off my bike and I’m trying to fight him,” Jenkins told TV news ABC 15. “And then I see two cops pull up and draw their firearms.
“I had instincts that kicked in and where I’ve been in life I learned to defend myself. And I don’t back down from anybody.”
However, when the thief returned to his van and took off, he ran over Brandon’s beloved Suzuki GSX-R 600.
“I was just pissed more than anything else because my bike was trashed,” Brandon said.
Brandon with his damaged SuzukiBut the story ends well as Kawasaki has now given Brandon a brand new Ninja ZX-6R as a replacement.
Meanwhile, the would-be thief who had been on the run from police over a hit-and-run since March 19 led police on a wild chase which ended when he crashed his van. He was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and has been charged with numerous offences.
While Brandon will also pursue charges against the man, he discourages other riders from doing what he did, unless they have self-defence training.
“Just take a step back; let them take it,” he said. “You can replace your vehicle, you can’t replace your life.”