A Santa Monica city councilman was harassed by an apparently homeless man Sunday afternoon after he asked him to throw away the torn-up flyers.
Phil Brock, a lifelong Santa Monica resident, saw the homeless man tear up the flyers and throw them on the ground.
The man, 20-year-old Sawyer Walden Alley, began spewing obscenities at Brock, who himself went to put the flyers in a nearby trash can.
That’s when Ally confronted Brock, who advised the homeless man not to proceed. But Ally persisted and as Brock moved away, Ally threw a warm, sticky liquid from a soda bottle at him.
He then threw the bottle at himself and continued to scream and shout incoherently.
However, Brock was able to turn the tables and take Ally to the ground and pin him down until the police arrested the suspect.
The homeless man, 20-year-old Sawyer Walden Alley, started yelling obscenities at Santa Monica City Councilman Phil Brock before throwing liquid at him and stealing his hat.
The disturbing incident came shortly after the Downtown Santa Monica Incorporated board voted to move forward with plans to hire a private security company to patrol the Third Street Promenade – where the attack took place.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, Alley was arrested and booked with battery from a person and grand theft. His court date is set for late August.
After his booking, Ally was admitted to a 72-hour involuntary psychiatric hospital.
When Allie sprays liquid on Brock immediately after the collision, Brock and his partner dial 911 and try to distance themselves from the madman. But Ally followed them as they tried to leave.
Ally finally pulls Brock’s white bucket hat off his head.
Brock later told the Santa Monica Daily Press: ‘At that point, I was like, ‘I’m not going to let him steal my hat’ and I kept telling him to give me the hat back, give me the hat back.’
‘He stumbled backwards as I tried to grab it and I tried to hold him down.’
Brock then called a nearby community ambassador to bring public safety officers from the community policing station. The officers made their way with five Santa Monica Police Department units, which arrived minutes later.
‘He was picked up in an SUV and we made a statement. Then we walked home, walked home very sticky because all he had in the bottle was Gatorade, Coke Cola, like something really sticky and syrupy, we were covered in it,’ Brock said.
‘But we got changed, got back in the car, went out for dinner and went to the movies. We didn’t let it scare us or stop us going back to the promenade.’
Brock was attacked by a homeless man over the weekend in Santa Monica. He said the problem of homelessness needs to be addressed in the interests of Santa Monica residents and business owners.
The alarming incident came shortly after the Downtown Santa Monica Incorporated board voted to move forward with plans to establish a private security company that would patrol the Third Street Promenade — where the attack took place.
A detailed report on a private company’s plan to patrol the area is expected to be presented at the next council meeting scheduled for next Tuesday.
Brock emphasized the council’s “compassionate” need to serve Santa Monica’s business owners and residents as well as the homeless, suggesting it may be time for a more strong-arm approach than in the past.
‘After we had a chance to reflect,’ said Brock, ‘my significant other felt that if it weren’t for me he would have either walked into a store or even attacked someone on the promenade.
‘Of course I’d prefer it wasn’t me, but, you know, if it was a choice between a resident or a visitor or a shop assistant or me, I’d rather it be me.’
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