Theodore Lidgett rescued Judith R. L. Schmidt from assault, Redding, California, February 16, 2007. At night, Schmidt, 19, had just entered her vehicle in the parking lot of a store when a masked man, who was armed with a knife, approached and forced his way inside. Pushing her to the passenger side of the seat, he held the knife to her throat and demanded her keys. Schmidt opened the passenger door and dropped the keys to the pavement, and then she screamed for help. Her coworker, Lidgett, 59, retail associate, was at his vehicle, which was parked next to Schmidt’s. Seeing the assault occur, Lidgett looked briefly for something to use as a weapon and then approached the passenger door of Schmidt’s vehicle unarmed. He reached inside the car and pulled on Schmidt’s shoulder with one hand while pushing the assailant’s knife hand away with the other. Although the assailant was also pulling on Schmidt, Lidgett freed her from the vehicle. She left the immediate scene. When the assailant followed her out of the car, Lidgett slammed the door against him repeatedly. The assailant fled but was later apprehended by police. Schmidt suffered bruises and cuts, including a deep laceration to a leg that required hospital treatment.
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