A Footlocker in New York City was literally protected by "Guardian Angels" from being looted by rioters.
"Guardian Angels", is the name of the volunteer group who made the headlines after they were taped protecting a shop from being looted from amid the riots and protests that have erupted in the city.
According to The New York Post, the group, led by their 66-year-old founder, Curtis Sliwa stood outside the Footlocker, situated near Washington Place and Broadway. They started to set up their protection detail around 10 o'clock on Tuesday night.
In the video, it was seen that the Angels dressed in their signature hats and jackets served as human barriers and shielded the store from looters who tried to get inside. It was also seen on the footage that one of the would-be looters smashed an abject that appeared to be a cane on the head of a Guardian Angel. Some people also threw stuff at them which included, garbage and bicycles.
An Angel Injured Amid the Battle
In a report by Fox, Sliwa said that the confrontation and their efforts to protect the store was a victory. However, he also stated that one of the Angels received a blow to the head that cost him his vision. The said Guardian Angel, was identified as Aram Sabet sustained injuries such as a broken sinus, nose and eye socket and needed 48 stitches.
In an interview with the news outlet, Sabet said that the main group of looters did not give up easily and even stated that they were only taking what was rightfully their property. The looters also made it a point that they would get into the store no matter what happened.
Sabet also narrated that when he told the rioters that they are only trying to help the community, things got violent and they suddenly were at the receiving end of items that people were throwing. Aside from this, he also stated that people started hitting them. He also noted that it has come to a point when a flare gun was shot at them, but thankfully missed.
According to Sliwa, their group has already been focused on helping out and stopping hate crimes that have been rampant against the Asian community ever since the coronavirus outbreak started. He said that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they have mostly situated themselves in Chinatown in order to protect Asians from being victims of hate crimes.
However, during the night that the video was taken, they were on their way to Broadway when they heard that looters were trying to bust inside a Footlocker. Thus, they immediately decided to protect it and rushed to the location.
Sliwa also said that they were already defending the store for hours before things escalated to become very violent with looters already began throwing bottles of liquids and bricks at them. He, however, emphasized that they have already trained to face these kinds of things and that they do not fold easily. The guarded the store since they wanted to make a difference in the neighborhoods that have been engulfed with riots ever since protests on George Floyd's death started.