On a Sunday afternoon while on a long run preparing for a marathon, Kelly Herron visited a public park restroom. Unexpectedly, she found herself facing a man who had been hiding in one of the stalls as she dried her hands.
Recalling the incident later, Kelly described how the man immediately attacked her, attempting to assault her. Engaged in a struggle on the restroom floor, Kelly realized she had to fight with all her strength, spurred into action by her self-defense training.
Fortuitously, just three weeks prior to the attack, Kelly had attended a two-hour self-defense class arranged by her company. The techniques she had learned during the class, such as targeting vulnerable areas with force, proved crucial in the intense situation.
Utilizing the skills she had acquired, Kelly fought back against her assailant, striking him and managing to escape to safety by wriggling under a stall door. Her screams attracted a passerby who helped detain the attacker until the authorities arrived at the scene in Seattle’s Golden Gardens Park.
In the heat of the moment, Kelly defiantly confronted her assailant, expressing her determination to resist the assault. Her resolute actions and refusal to succumb to fear led to her overpowering the attacker and seeking help.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Gary Steiner, a registered sex offender, was charged with attempted second-degree rape and second-degree assault. He was detained on a bail set at $750,000 pending further legal proceedings.