A New York woman says she was left fearing for her safety after she encountered a masked stranger on a street in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning. She claimed the individual chased her down and threatened to hurt her. After sharing her story on TikTok, many netizens reacting to the video said they were enraged by the incident and believed more should be done to protect women in general.
According to the woman, who goes by @maiashaki on TikTok, she was walking through Fort Greene when she noticed a man approaching from the opposite direction. Instead of continuing past her, however, he suddenly stopped about six feet away and stared at her.
The stranger reportedly had most of his face covered, leaving mainly his eyes visible. She described him as a black man, about 5 ft 8 inches to 5 ft 9 inches tall, wearing a white hoodie, white T-shirt, and blue jeans.
The woman said that something about the man immediately made her uneasy. “I could see the evil in his eyes,” she recalled, adding that her instincts were telling her not to walk past him. She listened.
While trying not to raise the man’s suspicions, the woman said she changed direction and tried to make it appear as though she had intended to go another way. At the same time, she began searching her bag for her keys, which had a personal alarm attached to them.
However, her problems were far from over.
Woman Says Stranger Chased Her Around Brooklyn Street
According to the woman, the stranger became angry after realizing she was trying to avoid him. She claimed he ran after her and threatened to punch her in the face and hurt her if he caught up.
The woman said the two ended up running back and forth around a gated area. Each time he changed direction, she went the opposite way to keep some distance between them.
Eventually, she managed to throw the man off long enough to make a run for a nearby building where a security guard was stationed. The guard let her inside, and she recalled being shaken and crying by the time she reached safety.
But even after everything she said had happened, she was dismayed when the guard informed her he had seen the stranger pass through the area before and believed he was “harmless.”
Netizens Say the Encounter Was Anything but ‘Harmless’
The story unsettled several viewers. In the comments, one person wrote, “He was chasing you, it was NEVER harmless! I am so sorry this happened to you.” Another said, “I can feel your anxiety through the video.”
“This world is not safe for us women,” a third commented. A fourth added, “Ugh. Being a woman is exhausting.”
Some were also particularly critical of the security guard’s response. “I can’t believe the security guard didn’t come out and stop him!” one comment read. Another viewer remarked, “The fact he saw you terrified, witnessed the encounter and did not call the police is insane. Then to say he’s harmless.”
“Even the man HIRED to protect people still can’t protect a woman. Typical,” someone else chimed in. Another stated, “Security guard needs to be reported.”
The woman later confirmed that she reported the incident to police and said she hopes the man is caught. She also used her experience to urge other women to remain vigilant and pay attention when something about a situation does not feel right.
