Quote - Your decision to run into the store for help should have been your first action.  This starts the 911 call and help coming sooner. 

Yes, but hindsight is 20/20 isn't it :)

I really didn't think about what I was doing. I just saw some guy beating up a woman and throwing her head into concrete and I acted. Probably not in the best way, but I at least did more than what anyone else in the vicinity were doing, or not doing. I think I reacted the way I did because I have experience in abusive relationships. I was in for for about 5 years, and ever since I got out I have been an advocate for abused women, and all I saw was this guy beating on her and I felt I needed to do what I could to stop it.

Quote - Your second action would have been to write down a quick physical description of the subjects to report to responding units.

Oh I did that too :) I can describe him very well right down to the earring in his left ear.

Quote -   I know a person can have the urge to intercede in something like this but please think of yourself and your loved ones first.  It does no one any good to have you hurt or killed in such a situation and such things do happen to good Samaritans.

I didn't sit and debate about what to do, I just reacted, good or bad. But I feel like I did the right thing by standing up to that bully for what he was doing.

Quote -   Also if this thing is weighing heavily upon you consider asking your family doctor, clergy, or other professional for some help.  After all you are now also a “victim” in this incident and may be suffering traumatic after effects.

It is bothering me, but not in that sense. I'm more irked by the fact that the guy felt he had the right to do what he was doing and use the type of force he was using to apprehend a woman that was smaller and no physical match to him.  

Quote - I do not alibi for the security personnel referred to by Acadia, rather feel embarrassed and sorry for them.  I have learned over the years that there is often more than one side to the story.  Unfortunately if this is a case of bad security in action it is reprehensible.  But don’t blame all security/police no more than you would all priests, doctors, judges, teachers, etc for the bad persons in those fields.  I strongly believe that better training, education and compensation has been needed for years in all parts of the criminal justice field. Do your part and speak out for this to lawmakers, reporters, business owners and students, the future workers in criminal justice.  Insist upon “professionalism.”

I don't feel sorry for him. I'm down right angry with him.  I am in the process of writing a letter of complaint to the head office for Safeway about this.  And I spoke to a news reporter who is looking into the matter. She said she is going to find out the girl's medical condition and let me know.  And I'm phoning the district police station this afternoon to find out what charges are going to be laid against him because the last I heard, impersonating a police office is against the law, and so is using excessive force on someone.  He identified himself a "I am the police" when I was telling him to leave her alone. He wasn't the police. He should have said "I am store security", which he didn't.  

Quote - Well, thanks for listening to this old guys opinion.  I had best get down off this soapbox as it is my bed time and the job starts early tomorrow morning.

Thanks, Curtis.

Thanks for your great insight :)  Your advice is taken to heart and while I will try, I can't promise that I'll run to a phone first instead of acting on instinct, if I have the unfortunate experience to encounter something like this again.

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi