Homeless sex-offender Gary Steiner certainly got what was coming to him after he attempted to assault a Seattle jogger in one of the restrooms at the Golden Gardens Park on Sunday. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kelly Herron, who was training for a marathon in the park, was punched by Steiner several times in the face before he wrestled her to the floor and began to pull her pants down. Herron recalls screaming “Not today,” as loud as she can as she tried to fight off her attacker. She admitted that she felt scared, but she was also determined not to let her attacker win without a fight.
Luckily,Herron remembered the 2 hour self-defense class she took at Fighting Chance Seattle a few weeks before, a class that was scheduled by her employer RealSelf. In her Instagram post, Herron recalled how she started scratching at his face and clawing at his back until she was able to break free and run out of the restroom to get help. With the help of passersby, Herron also managed to lock Steiner in the bathroom and call for the police.
Herron credits her self-defense training for saving her life and recommends that other employers sign their staff up for similar courses to help employees, especially women, deal with this kind of scenario if it occurs.
The police were impressed with how Herron was able to protect herself and told her that she did “a pretty good number on his face.” Steiner, who already has an extensive record of assaults against women, was charged with attempted rape and second degree assault.
