Theophilus I. Joseph helped to rescue a woman from assault, Norco, California, April 4, 2009. A 31-year-old woman was alone inside the tanning salon she operated when a man entered and, threatening her with a knife, forced her to the floor in a back room. She screamed, attracting the attention of Joseph, 41, off-duty police officer who was in an office of an adjoining business with another man. Joseph followed the other man into the salon and to its back room, where they saw the assault. The other man grasped the assailant, who then turned on him and struggled against him. Joseph joined in the struggle, ending up on the floor with the assailant atop him as they fought for control of the knife. The men disarmed the assailant, who then broke away and fled the building. Joseph pursued him through the parking lot, tackled him, and held him until police arrived and arrested him. The woman was not injured. Joseph sustained scratches to his forehead; he recovered.
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