INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis police are asking for the community's help to locate a man who they say chased and grabbed a woman walking on a path May 9 in the 500 block of Dorman St.
Video released by police shows a man jogging up to a woman who attempts to back away before he chases and tries to grab her.
Eventually, the woman was able to get to safety.
"It's certainly a concerning situation, and fortunately she was not injured. However, we still want to bring awareness to this particular situation. We're hoping that we can identify this potential suspect who made contact with this individual when she was just out on a normal walk," IMPD Ofc. William Young said.
Young said it is a scary situation to happen to anyone, especially in broad daylight. It's why police are looking for the man involved.
"Whenever you put your hands on someone in a rude or insolent manner, obviously that is a form of battery. So we want to make people aware of this particular situation and what could have happened, and we're fortunate in that the victim was not injured," Young said.
With the weather warming up and more people outside and on trails, self-defense and firearms instructor Bud Lich is urging people to pay attention when they leave their house.
"When you get on a nature trail, it's beautiful, it's serenity, you want to just let your mind wander and enjoy it, and there's nothing wrong with it, that's why we have the trails," said Lich, owner of The Shooting Institute. "But you don't want to relax your mind to the point where you're not aware of your surroundings."
If you're going on a walk or a jog, Lich says to pay close attention to your surroundings, like what people are wearing or what they look like. Consider not having music or a podcast on so you can pay close attention.
And, Lich says, you might want to carry something with you, such as a pen, that could be used as a weapon in case you need to protect yourself.
A self-defense course can teach you how to escape a hold if someone tries to harm you, Lich said. If you take a weapon, even mace, Lich said make sure you're trained and know how to use it. If you're going out alone, consider sending someone your location.
"Going with friends makes a big difference," Lich said. "It's harder to attack more than one person, and so if you're out there or you have to go by yourself, just make sure you're aware. Make sure you're looking around, check behind you, check around."
For more information on Lich's self-defense courses, send an email here or call 317-507-4396.