Armed Marine veteran stops alleged rapist at grocery store: "I said, ‘give it up brother, because I’m not.’”
“A lady behind me just said ‘he raped that girl in the bathroom.’ There was nothing else for me to do besides go out the door after him.”
www.lawenforcementtoday.com
The hero, Damian Austin :
SAVANNAH, GA – A U.S. Marine veteran, that happened to have been carrying a concealed weapon reportedly, chased down a male suspect who had just allegedly raped a woman inside of a bathroom at a Kroger grocery store on April 27th.
With the quick actions taken by this veteran, he was able to subdue and detain the suspect until police arrived at the scene to bring the suspect into custody.
At approximately 6:30 PM on April 27th, Damian Austin was inside of the Kroger grocery store on Ogeechee Road doing some shopping, when he suddenly heard a woman screaming from inside a bathroom at the store:
“It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck because it wasn’t a normal yell.”
Following the scream that emanated from the bathroom, Austin noted that the inside of the store became a tad bit hectic before he was able to learn of what allegedly transpired in the restroom:
“A lady behind me just said ‘he raped that girl in the bathroom.’ Once she said that, there was nothing else for me to do besides go out the door after him.”
Austin immediately sprang into action and started to pursue the suspect on foot, reportedly chasing him through the store parking lot and into a grassy area located behind a nearby Ace Hardware store.
Austin was able to catch up with the alleged rapist, pulling out his sidearm and ordering the individual to surrender:
“He locked eyes with me and I looked at him and I said, ‘give it up brother, because I’m not.’”
“I told him to put his hands in the air. He complied and put them up…I told him to get on the ground, and he tried to say something, and I said: ‘Don’t say a word.’”
Security footage that captured portion of the incident reportedly substantiate the version of events relayed by Austin.
While holding the suspect at gunpoint, a woman had reportedly went inside one of the stores and brought out a package of zip ties to help restrain the suspect while authorities were en route.
Austin stated that while the man was being restrained by the zip ties, he made sure that the suspect didn’t move:
“I kept drawn down on him and made sure he didn’t move.”
Authorities arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and took the suspect into custody, which officials identified the suspect as 25-year-old Gregory Hathorne. Below:
The suspect has been reportedly charged with felony kidnapping, felony rape, and misdemeanor battery.
According to the female victim involved in the case, she reportedly told investigators that she had never met the suspect prior to the alleged attack inside of the grocery store bathroom.
Looking back at the situation, Austin is pleased to have seen so many people work collaboratively to take down the suspect:
“There are people who still care, and they’ll act in time of need.”
When commenting on his motivation to insert himself into a volatile situation, Austin stated that he feels compelled to make sure those who harm people within his community are brought to justice:
“My wife shops here, I have friends whose wives shop here, my son works here. So, it was just about not letting this person get away after he did what he did.”
Chatham County Police Department Chief Jeff Hadley extended sincere accolades for the bravery demonstrated by Austin and others who helped apprehend Hathorne:
“I just can’t commend them enough for involving themselves in a dangerous situation obviously, so this person could be held accountable and we could make an arrest so there wasn’t any further danger to the community.”
