July 4

Around 11:30 PM last night, on the 4th of July, two friends and I were walking home from an Independence Day celebration at a friend's place. We were pacing eastward on Channing Way through a residential area, nearing Shattuck Avenue, the main downtown street of Berkeley, California.

Three black young males were heading toward us on the same sidewalk. From what I remember they were clad in dark baggy clothing. Two had black hooded sweaters, the hood pulled over their heads. The other, Sam reports, hid his face with a bandanna. A gun was the first thing I saw when they came within five feet of us. It immediately targeted Jeffrey's head. Sam was also taken aback by one of the other black males. I don't remember the ordeal very well, but Sam says he saw another gun which was aimed at my chest.

The attackers demanded our money. "Give us your money, give us your money!" they barked. I took out my wallet, and I gave them all the cash I had in it - about $80. I was immediately obedient when I first saw guns. Jeffrey and Sam were patted down: their cell phones and their wallets were taken. The black males released them when they believed they had milked them enough.

I was the last to be let go. I had taken out my wallet, yes, but I was arguing with the attackers. After giving them my cash, I had told them all that was left in the fold of my wallet was just papers - receipts, movie ticket stubs, notes, etc. I had dropped these sundries on the ground and bent to pick them up. I was lucky to have also picked up my student ID card. One of the assailants was patting my back pockets as I was pawing the ground for my things.

I stood up to catch up with my friends. We hastily treaded toward Sam's place and called the police. They were at Sam's place within a few minutes. We gave them our statements. Jeffrey and I returned to my apartment in the back of a police car.