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SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - San Francisco Police are praising the actions of two city workers and other Good Samaritans who stepped up to help save a man being viciously stabbed on Market Street.
It happened Tuesday afternoon near Fifth Street.
The frantic scene unfolded in the middle of Market Street when two SFMTA workers were on their way to assignment when they saw a commotion on the sidewalk.
"I said, 'Frank, stop. Somebody is going to get killed you know, please, stop the truck,'" said Paulo De Souza, a soft-spoken SFMTA Construction Inspector, with a thick Brazilian accent. He and Frank Shreve, a Stationary Engineer for the SF Municipal Transportation Agency, had just wrapped up a job at the Van Ness Muni station.
"We saw this guy stabbing another gentleman and so Paulo goes, 'He's gonna kill him! He's gonna kill him!" said Shreve, who then sprang into action.
The victim, with blood gushing from his neck, sought refuge in the mens' truck. Then the suspect began to charge at the victim again. "He had a crazed look on his face, his hands were covered in blood," said Shreve.
Shreve tackled the suspect to the ground and the two held him down until police came. It was a split second decision he said he doesn't regret. "Something just clicks in you and it's not about thinking about it. It's about reacting."
Some people pitched into help but soon the crowd grew angry, attacking the suspect. "The crowd was trying to beat him, they were kicking him and hitting him we had to stop em," said Shreve.
Authorities say not only did the two city workers potentially save the victim's life, but also the suspect's life. Police say the suspect is a white male, who approached the victim and asked for a knife, then suddenly began stabbing him with it.
"We don't know of any motive in this attack the suspect has been arrested and booked," said Officer Robert Rueca. "He will most likely face an attempted murder charge.
Meanwhile, the victim is expected to survive. A passing cyclist wrapped his neck with his shirt to help stop the blood. "Everybody stepped up it made me feel good I wasn't by myself in the end," said Shreve.
“I'm very proud to be [Frank's] partner and work with him,” said De Souza.
Our reporter asked if they were kind of like Batman and Robin.
“Could be!,” exclaimed De Souza. “He’s the Batman, he, for sure, is the Batman. Frank is my hero.
"I'm not a hero," remarked Shreve. "A hero is someone who fights for our country and comes back. I'm a citizen and I did what a citizen should do."
"The only thing I heard from the victim was 'Help! Help! Help!' Those were the words coming out of his mouth and he was crying and afraid of dying. I think what Frank said, it was much more of a reaction of good heart, I think we all have a good inside of our heart and it just came out [that day]," said De Souza.