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# Just trying to help
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/just-trying-to-help-editor/
- Published: 2005-06-13T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:15:00.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Thomas Kenney Los Angeles*

On Tuesday, I was hard at work here in lovely Santa Monica when I heard screaming from outside. I recognized the homeless man on crutches who only has one leg lying in the street, struggling. I rushed outside to find him pummeling an elderly man. I know him to have a history of unprovoked assaults.

I quickly yelled at him to stop and then physically pulled him off of the elderly man. When the police arrived, another witness came over and said that I was the one who assaulted the poor, defenseless homeless man. Why? Because the homeless man was black and so was the witness. He said I should have separated them equally. I’ll remember that the next time I have to stop an elderly man from being beaten in the middle of the street here in lovely Santa Monica.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 13, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061305.pdf?ref=smdp.com)