(DailyVantage.com) – A teenager from Indiana has achieved internet stardom after a video of him confronting an alleged carjacker went viral, which saw the teenager use his martial arts prowess to choke out the alleged would-be car thief at his gym’s parking lot.
A nearby surveillance camera caught the entire altercation between 18-year-old Gavin Archer and the suspected carjacker, Andrew Wilkerson, whom the teen choked using jiu-jitsu. The alleged car thief claims that he wasn’t planning on stealing a vehicle from the gym parking lot and has accused the teenager of acting with excessive force and aggression.
The incident unfolded on June 3rd while Archer worked at the aforementioned jiu-jitsu gym, where Archer learned about various martial arts, including judo and jiu-jitsu. The gym’s owner, Ian Pomfret, released surveillance footage of the altercation and shared information about Archer’s encounter with Wilkerson. According to Pomfret, Archer noticed a man walking from car to car in the gym’s parking lot, which prompted the teenager to walk outside and talk to the suspected car thief.
The footage from Pomfret captured the initial exchange between Archer and Wilkerson, who allegedly attempted to attack Archer after the teenager began speaking to him. Archer fought against the suspected car thief and used a martial arts throw to get the potential carjacker off his feet. Once Archer got Wilkerson on the ground, the teenager put the suspected car thief in a chokehold and rendered him unconscious. Once Archer subdued Wilkerson, he retreated into the gym and called the police.
The brief fight between Wilkerson and Archer quickly went viral on social media and local Indiana news stations. One such station, WISH-TV, interviewed Archer about the altercation and shared clips from the surveillance footage released by Pomfret. Archer told his interviewer about the fight between himself and the alleged car thief and expressed his desire to press charges against the man for attacking him. Despite the footage of the incident, Wilkerson maintains his innocence and claims Archer used excessive force against him.
During his interview with WISH-TV, Archer also briefly addressed the man who attacked him and his alleged criminal history. According to Archer, the man who attacked him has attacked other people on multiple occasions. WISH-TV interviewed Wilkerson as well, who said that Archer escalated the situation and caused him to fear for his life. Pomfret has also addressed the altercation, celebrating Archer for using martial arts and encouraging other citizens to find a jiu-jitsu gym to learn similar self-defense techniques.
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