Attempted 'good Samaritan' arrested after kicking security guard in the face

BREMERTON -- A man who apparently thought he was helping a woman in distress - but turned out to be helping a thief - was arrested Saturday in Bremerton after kicking a security guard in the head, police say.

Police officers were called around 5 p.m. to the WinCo Foods on Kitsap Way near SR 3 after reports of a theft and assault.

According to court documents:

Once on scene, police contacted a loss prevention security guard at WinCo. He told police he was in plain clothes when he attempted to make contact with a woman he spotted stealing over-the-counter cold medicine. When he approached the woman, he told police, she became combative and a struggle ensued.

The security guard and the alleged thief wrestled to the ground. Once on the ground, another man jumped in and kicked the security guard in the side of the head, knocking him away from the suspect. The alleged thief fled the scene and drove off.

The man who kicked the security guard told police he was checking out of the store when his fiance said a woman was getting attacked. Believing he was witnessing a domestic violence dispute, the attempted good Samaritan ran to the tussle. He kicked the security guard's head, he told police, and then pulled the two apart.

The attempted good Samaritan told police he didn't know the man was a security guard, and thought the man was trying to drag the woman into the parking lot.

His fiance also told police she thought a domestic violence incident was taking place. She encouraged her fiance to jump in and help the woman.

After reviewing video footage and conferring with the Kitsap County Prosecutor's Office, the attempted good Samaritan was arrested for assault. He was transported to the Kitsap County Jail.

A short time later, the suspected thief was arrested at her home. She was charged with felony assault on the guard, the Kitsap Sun reports. Before her arrest, she was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries believed to be from the incident.

The guard suffered minor injuries, documents show. He declined medical care.