Mail carrier attacked in Gardena; Neighbors rally around victim
GARDENA, Calif. - Shocking video shows the unprovoked assault on a mail carrier in Gardena.
Surveillance video shared with FOX 11 shows the mail carrier being approached by a stranger on a home's driveway. The man, later identified as Bruce, is then seen being punched in the head repeatedly and body slammed to the ground by the suspect.
Bruce, the mail carrier, is seen trying to fight back as he continues to be assaulted. FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff spoke with Bruce as he recovers from the horrific incident.
"I did fear for my life," Bruce said. "After that, I pretty much defended myself as much as I could."
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Out of fear of getting punished at work, Bruce didn’t show his face on camera Thursday speaking with FOX 11 and didn’t want to share his last name.
As of Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Postal Service hadn’t pressed federal charges on the attacker.
"I don’t feel like I’m being protected," said Bruce. "[I want them to] hold him to the fullest extent of the law on federal charges."
Several neighbors in the Gardena neighborhood were rallying together Thursday in support of Bruce.
"We have high-definition video footage of the incident happening," said Garret Rodriguez. "We have the suspect’s name. [The postal service] just told us they’re still reviewing; it may look like a mutual fight. That doesn’t make sense."
"Something needs to be done for Bruce and other mailmen who deliver," said Derek Martin. "Bruce had less rights, according to his employer, than the average person walking down the street. If a mail carrier is able to carry pepper spray to defend themselves from a dog, why can’t he protect himself from someone who is literally sucker punching him in the back of the head?"
According to neighbors, the attacker is a well-known squatter in the neighborhood. Recently, he has been living in a vacant home listed for sale. They shared several videos of recent confrontations with the suspect.
"He will turn violent if he’s caught," said Martin. "In this case with Bruce, [the attacker] went on the offensive. That was sickening."
"Really sets a dangerous precedent across the nation that apparently the post office, and federal agencies in general, aren’t going to defend their employees," said Rodriguez.
Patricia Mendoza, a Postal Inspector, sent a statement below to FOX 11 late Thursday afternoon.
"The Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement agency, with jurisdiction over investigations of assaults and threats against postal employees.
The safety and well-being of Postal Service employees is a top priority for the Postal Inspection Service. The suspect involved in this assault has been arrested and is currently pending federal prosecution."