Woman sucker punched by a teenager

Surveillance video captured a teenager approaching a woman outside her Bywater home Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 24) and whacking her on the head. The boy then darted up the street.



Samantha Purcell was adjusting Halloween decorations outside her house around 2:50 p.m. in the 900 block of Port Street (map), while on a conference call with co-workers. In the video captured by Purcell’s security camera, she was facing away from the street when the youth, whom she described to be between 14 and 17, came up from behind and attacked her.



Purcell fell to the ground onto her knees and ran up the steps to her home. Her black Chow/Australian Shepherd mix, named Steve, was standing in the doorway when the teenager attacked her.

In the video, Purcell’s husband is seen coming out of the house holding a large rifle. Her husband, an avid hunter, recently purchased a new scope for his rifle and was showing it to his friend in the basement at the time of the attack, Purcell said.



Purcell’s husband’s friend chased the youth up the street, but eventually had to stop the pursuit, Purcell said. Purcell called police and two officers arrived at her home, she said.



Right after the attack, Purcell screamed, causing all of her neighbors to come out to the street to see what had happened, she said.



The teenager – who wore a black jacket with silk-screened roses on it – had asked Purcell’s neighbor for money minutes before walking down the street and assaulting Purcell, she said.



“Give me a dollar,” the teenager said to Purcell’s neighbor, according to Purcell. After her neighbor refused, the teenager reportedly said, “Give me two dollars.” After a second refusal from the neighbor, Purcell said that the teenager replied, “Well, somebody’s gotta give me something.”



The incident was the first time she had been personally attacked, Purcell said. But groups of teenagers often roam the streets in the Marigny and Bywater areas flipping car handles or robbing people, she said.