December 12–19, 1996

hit and run

Stick It

Philadelphians are always grousing about Empire State Envy, but here's a story, if true, that shows Our Town is catching up to the Big Apple, at least in terms of whack jobs roaming the streets.

A Center City resident, who requests anonymity, says that he was attacked Monday night by a woman brandishing what she claimed was an HIV-infected syringe.

"I was walking around 15th and Pine at about 11:30 when this big white girl comes up, tells me she has HIV and that she will stick me with a needle infected with HIV if I don't give her money."

The man says he immediately used his umbrella to threaten the woman before she could stick him. He says he then followed her several blocks in an effort to stop her for police.

However it was the woman who actually called police, says the man. She claimed that he was harassing her, the man said.

When police did arrive at the scene, they frisked the man and let the woman go, claims the man.

"The officer shouted at me and told me to shut up," says the man. "They let her go. I tried to explain that she was carrying around an HIV-infected needle, but the cop wouldn't listen. He let her go."

Police have no record of the incident.

Ninth District Police Lt. Benjamin Walton, whom the man claims to have contacted after the officer let the woman go, was off duty and unavailable for comment.

"All I want to do is warn people," says the man, who describes his assailant as being 28 or 29, tall and dressed in sweat pants and a sweater with a hood.

— Howard Altman