Police call instructor a hero after he takes suspect for a ride

by Meredith Hooker
Staff Writer, Gazette.net

June 22, 2005

When a fleeing suspect hopped on the back of Juan Davis' scooter to get out of town, he didn't know his ride would actually take him back to the police.

Davis, 32, who owns Universal Martial Arts Center in Silver Spring, helped police stop a suspect June 10 while Davis was riding his scooter down Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, promoting a community after-school program. He first offered the man a ride and then overpowered him after a scuffle that ensued when the suspect figured out that Davis wasn't driving a getaway scooter after all.

Davis, who also owns a martial arts studio in the District, said he saw a red car speeding behind him with police following it late in the afternoon, in the direction of his martial arts studio. He followed the cars out of concern for the children who might be near the building.

The suspect had run a stop sign near the Silver Spring Metro station and a Metro Transit officer had attempted to stop him, said Steven Taubenkibel, a spokesman for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The suspect attempted to go around the officer and hit his car, and a car chase ensued. During that chase, Davis crossed their path.

Davis said he saw the man hit a parked car, get out and run down Spring Street. Police couldn't chase him because of the traffic. But Davis, on his scooter, could ride around the cars.

"I'm a martial arts instructor. It looked like an easy catch for me," the black-belt said. "I said, 'Hey, I think I can get that guy if you want me to."

Police gave Davis the go-ahead, and Davis rode after the man on his bike.

When he caught up to him, Davis said, "I said, 'Hey, you need a ride?'"

The man jumped on the scooter and Davis drove away. The man wanted him to drive toward the Beltway; Davis, however, drove toward the police station and the man began to realize his escape wasn't going to be too easy.

The men began to fight and the scooter got knocked over, cutting and burning Davis' leg. He warned the man he was a black-belt, then "I did a few martial arts moves," he said.

Davis pinned the man to the ground, and police arrived shortly. The man Davis helped catch faces multiple charges, including reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer and fleeing an officer, said Steven Taubenkibel, a spokesman for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Police took Davis to the station and congratulated him on acting heroically.

But for Davis, it wasn't a big deal and it wasn't the first time he helped someone in trouble. When he was attending Howard University and living in the dorms, he said he heard a girl screaming in her room. When he went in, he found a man stealing items.

Davis said he chased the man, who had stolen purses and several items, and recovered the girl's belongings.

Davis, who has been involved with martial arts since he was 3 and is the president of the American Self Defense Association, said self-defense is something everyone should be educated in. People should know how to protect themselves.

"People are assaulted every 15 seconds in the U.S., and people need to be aware of that," he said.

Davis' act, though brave, isn't common.

"Most people step out of the way, sit there and watch it go by," said Officer Derek Baliles, a spokesman for Montgomery County Police.

"Which is probably a good thing."

Usually, he said, criminals are running for their lives and will resort to desperate measures.

"The best thing you can do is watch and point. 'He went thataway,'" Baliles said. Then, police can use radios, dogs or helicopters to catch a suspect.

And, if they don't see police nearby, residents can call 911.

"Very often, searches are successful because people call 911," and report seeing someone hiding in their yard or near their house, Baliles said.