20-Year-Old Stabbed After Confronting Drunken Stranger For Harassing Women

A 20-year-old man who was returning from the Pride celebration in Manhattan has been stabbed after bravely confronting a drunk stranger for harassing women.

Dylan Spinosa was waiting for a cab with three friends after the celebration at around 8:45 p.m. Sunday when they encountered the alleged suspect, 47-year-old Eric Shields, who appeared to be drunk. "He was talking to women sexually... as he walked past us, he was saying that to my friends, and we were like 'go home, you're drunk,'" Dylan said as per ABC7 New York.

Shields allegedly did not listen to Dylan and went on making unwanted advances on a passerby. "He was in her ear, sexually harassing her, saying he was going to have sex with her," the New York Daily News quoted Dylan as saying.

Another man, aged 30, intervened and asked the Shields to stop what he was doing. But instead of doing as told, Shields punched the man in the face, police said. Dylan stepped in, put the guy in a headlock and told him to "cut it out."

Thinking the harasser had calmed down, Dylan went to get water for the man who intervened. However, he heard his friend scream. "He charged at us... Just felt like he punched me, and my back was soaked," he told ABC7 New York.

"I didn't realize that he had a knife. It felt like he punched me. I thought he threw a beer on me," Dylan added.

According to police, Fields used an anti-gay slur while attacking Dylan.

Dylan was stabbed in the back. He and the other Good Samaritan, whose identity was not revealed, were taken to Richmond University Medical Center. They were said to be in stable condition.

"It's upsetting, I don't understand how people can think they are above somebody else," Dylan said.

Shields was arrested moments later and charged with assault, weapons possession, menacing and harassment. The New York Police Department's Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident.

Marisa Spinosa, Dylan's mother, shared how proud she was of her son. "I'm very proud of him for helping somebody. I was worried when it happened, cause these days you don't know what people have with them," she said.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES / SCOTT OLSON