Good Samaritan attacked in Oakland Chinatown honored

OAKLAND, Calif. - A homeless man in Oakland was honored Tuesday for intervening after a Chinatown market worker was attacked and ended up getting assaulted himself.

Good Samaritan says he's not a hero

What they're saying:

"I don't think I'm a hero. I think I did what I was supposed to do. I did my duty," said Tom Jensen.

After the worker at Won Kee Supermarket was attacked by a man who didn't want his bag checked, Jensen confronted the assailant, who threw a punch at him.

"I did make one conscious decision and that was I didn't want it to happen again," Jensen said.

The attacker left, and Jensen continued shopping as he usually does at the supermarket.

But then the man returns and goes after Jensen again, violently attacking him from behind.         

The assailant took off after Thursday's incident. 

The backstory:

Jensen refused medical attention and also departed.

"He got up and left. It wasn't hard for us to find him He's a regular in Chinatown," said Stewart Chen, president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council. "He, in my mind, saved the employee from further harm."

Unemployed and homeless

Jensen is a 71-year-old former carpenter. He's been living in a motor home for 30 years as a result of health conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and chemical sensitivity. 

On Tuesday, Jensen was honored for his actions by Chinatown leaders, local officials and supermarket owner Shirley Luo, who offered him groceries and lunch.

"Tom - very good. And I need Tom," Luo said to laughter. "I need to do for him. Something for him."

Jensen received a flurry of commendations, including ones from U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, Alameda County Supervisor Lena Tam and Oakland City Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Rowena Brown.

"I know it takes so much courage to really step up at a time where those around you really need you, so thank you for that," Brown said.

The Chinatown group gave Jensen $1,600 in donations.

"It's a little embarrassing for me to accept this, but I understand this deeply-felt acknowledgment, and I appreciate it," Jensen said.

He was asked if all this attention was hard for him.

"Yes, but I'm doing better than I expected," Jensen said, drawing laughs.

The group also gave Jensen a spot in a volunteer patrol. He said he's excited, "but it's honorary. I don't have the energy to walk the rounds every day."

But Jensen clearly had the energy to fend off the attacker. He's very humble, but he also had this message on behalf of the unhoused: "We're not all bad."

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan