The Australian prime minister has hailed him a hero for rushing out of his shop to help independent MP Helen Haines after she was allegedly run down in a deliberate attack – but barber Ricky Jefferies says he had “no choice” but to intervene.
uncertain
he → hail → choice
Standing on Tuesday morning outside his shop, which is right next to Haines’ electorate office in Wangaratta, Jefferies was almost shy about the whole thing.
asserted
Jefferies → stand → thing
“I don’t want to be known as a hero,” the regional Victorian barber repeatedly told the large media pack that surrounded him.
asserted
that → want → him
Jefferies spoke about how he had just finished cutting a young family’s hair when a car hit Haines at about 4pm on Monday.
asserted
car → speak → Monday
When he heard the loud crash, he ran to help.
asserted
he → hear → crash
“A lot of people a lot of people got involved immediately, and they didn’t even check the danger,” he said.
asserted
he → involve → danger
“They just ran to help.
asserted
They → run → ?
The driver was still in the car, the car was still on, and … one man sat in front of the moving car,” he said.
asserted
he → sit → car
“I had no choice but to take him out of the car because it was the right and safest thing to do.”
asserted
it → have → car
Haines was allegedly rammed twice on Murphy Street in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon, and remains in a critical but stable condition on Tuesday morning.
uncertain
Haines → ram → morning
The prime minister alleged it was an attack and it “wasn’t an accident”.
asserted
it → allege → ?
Witnesses have described the driver as doing a U-turn before allegedly ramming Haines against a vehicle, then reversing before doing it a second time, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said on Tuesday morning.
uncertain
minister → describe → morning
Jefferies said after getting the driver out of the car, he held the man down.
asserted
he → say → man
He said he told him he couldn’t leave but that the man would be alright, in an attempt to calm him while others helped Haines.
asserted
others → say → Haines
He also alleged the man had a knife on him.
asserted
man → allege → him
“He did have a knife.
asserted
He → have → knife
He didn’t pull it out.
asserted
He → pull → it
Basically just … took it out of his pocket and threw it away,” he alleged.
asserted
he → take → it
Jefferies, who was back at work cutting hair at 7am on Tuesday, said he didn’t stop to think about the danger, only that his wife might be upset if he got hurt.
uncertain
he → cut → danger
“[I just thought] my wife will be disappointed if I’m injured,” he said.
asserted
he → think → ?
“I was just trying to not get injured and not let anyone else be injured after the initial incident.”
asserted
anyone → try → incident
Jefferies actions have been widely commended on Tuesday, including by Albanese, Burke and the mayor of Wangaratta, Irene Grant.
asserted
actions → commend → Wangaratta
“It’s got to be said here that at this dark and terrible time, an element of light is the fact that a good Samaritan, someone rushed to Helen’s defence in Wangaratta … and that person is a hero today,” Albanese told the Today Show.
asserted
Albanese → get → Show
“And I just think that he deserves enormous praise and thanks for his intervention, which could have prevented even further infliction of damage, which was aimed at Helen.”
uncertain
which → think → Helen
Grant said she had spoken to the barber on Tuesday morning, saying he was taking it in his stride.
asserted
he → say → stride
“He was extraordinarily modest about the very brave action that he took yesterday … he did an amazing job.”
asserted
he → take → job
Jefferies brushed the accolades aside, saying he doesn’t want to be seen as a hero and that – like all of the community – he is praying Haines recovers quickly.
asserted
Haines → brush → community
“No one’s job should put them at risk.
asserted
job → put → risk
I can tell you from my own personal dealings that she is a genuine, kind person,” he said.
asserted
he → tell → dealings
“I don’t think I’m the hero, I think that I just was a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish sort of way.”
asserted
who → think → way
The Aporia
