Patrick Haskin

Patrick Haskin helped rescue Salman Rushdie from assault, Chautauqua, New York, August 12, 2022. Rushdie, 75, was on an amphitheater stage at a speaking event when a man, armed with a knife, advanced to the stage, charged, and stabbed him repeatedly. Rushdie stood and attempted to flee but fell to the ground as the assailant continued to stab him. A 73-year-old non-profit organization co-founder, who had been seated near Rushdie, charged the assailant and held his legs down. Haskin, 30, the amphitheater event supervisor who was watching a livestream feed of the event, ran from backstage, jumped on the assailant, and also held down his legs. After seeing the assailant’s upper body was free and he still had the knife, Haskin punched the assailant’s arm in an unsuccessful attempt to loosen the assailant’s grip on the knife. Haskin then laid facedown on the assailant’s upper body to hold him down. Rushdie moved a few feet out of the assailant’s reach as he lay bleeding on the floor. Others from the audience responded, including yet another man, who sat on the assailant’s back and held down his arm holding the knife, and someone else removed the knife from the assailant’s grasp. On-site police and security responded and took the assailant into custody. The assailant was found guilty in state court of attempted murder and assault, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Rushdie was flown to a hospital for his injuries, including 15 stab wounds, some of which required surgery, with one wound blinding his right eye. Haskin was not injured.

2023-0000038-10528