The barber who has been hailed a hero for wrestling a knife from Helen Haines’ alleged attacker has broken his silence.
Ricky Jefferies, who runs RickyChops barber shop in Wangaratta, Victoria, disarmed a man after federal MP Haines was hit by a four-wheel-drive outside her electorate office.
He pulled the alleged attacker from the vehicle and restrained him until police arrived, according to news.com.au. A 43-year-old man was arrested by police.
“I don’t think I’m the hero, I think that I just was a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safeish sort of way,” he told media.
Jefferies said he didn’t realise the “seriousness” of the situation at first when he saw the alleged attack take place shortly before 4pm on Monday.
“He did have a knife. He didn’t pull it out. I just wasn’t comfortable with his movements, and so I basically just took it out of his pocket and threw it away,” he explained.
When asked what was going through his mind when he intervened, he replied, “My wife will be disappointed if I’m injured.”
Jeffries said he was “humbled and grateful” by the response to his actions, arguing that other people who were on the scene first deserved more credit.
“It’s hard to stand up here and talk because the first people on scene were people I know,” he emotionally added about his small community.
While Jeffries might not see himself as a hero, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has heaped praise on the father of three.
“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 rushed to Helen’s defence in Wangaratta, put themselves potentially at risk by doing so, and that person is a hero today,” Albanese told Today.
“He deserves an enormous praise and thanks for his intervention, which could have prevented even more further infliction of damage which was aimed at Helen.
“At the worst of times, we do see the best of the Australian character.”
Despite the terrifying ordeal, Jeffries was back cutting hair at 7am on Tuesday morning.
Following the alleged attack, Haines underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital.
The independent MP was struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser at around 3.30pm on Monday while getting belongings out of her car’s boot.
The driver allegedly made a U-turn before Haines was struck by the vehicle. A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was arrested at the scene.
Police are investigating whether Haines was deliberately targeted and whether the pair knew one another.
As of Tuesday morning, no charges have been brought.
