ATLANTA — Former Marine Thomas Autry says he's not a hero for pulling a knife and fighting back after a group of thugs attacked him on his late-night walk home from work.
The soft-spoken Desert Storm veteran was somber as he briefly talked to reporters Tuesday afternoon from behind the screen door of his Atlanta apartment. Concerned about his safety and that of his girlfriend, Autry changed his locks Tuesday and asked not to be photographed.
"I'm sorry this whole thing happened. I hate this world has gotten to the point where it is predatory," said a shaken Autry.
Police say Autry acted in self-defense around 11 p.m. Monday when he fatally stabbed one of his five attackers, Amy Martin, 17. Another assailant was critically injured.
Martin, who died of stab wounds to the chest, was part of a teenage robbery crew that had already struck twice this month, said Erik Friedly, a spokesman for the Fulton County District Attorney's Office.
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Cops: Choice of victim unwise
When searching for another victim about midnight on Memorial Day, the group might have mistaken the tall, thin waiter for an easy mark as he headed home alone after finishing a shift at the Jocks & Jills restaurant in Midtown, police said.
But the bandits picked the wrong victim, said Atlanta police homicide Detective Danny Stephens. The former Marine corporal, cornered by his pursuers, fought back with a pocket knife.
More than his military training, Autry said "what really helped me was growing up in New York."
He said he knew to stay alert on his long walk home and turned to investigate after seeing a white cat scurry across the street. That's when he saw his attackers, four young men — one armed with a shotgun — and the woman, piling out of a blue Cadillac, he said.
"My first instinct was to run," said Autry, 36. "Those kids were younger than me. They caught me and cornered me. It was about life preservation."
Prevailed over five attackers
Stephens said that during the chase, Autry was "trying to get into his backpack to get a pocket knife, which slows him down." As he ran, Autry repeatedly yelled "Fire," which Stephens said attracted the attention of nearby residents who called 911.
Autry managed to kick the shotgun from the hands of one attacker and stabbed the woman in the chest, fatally wounding her, Stephens said. Autry also stabbed one of the male suspects. Another suspect attempted to shoot Autry with a .380 pistol but it misfired, Stephens said.
The suspects ran back to the Cadillac and drove to Atlanta Medical Center, where police arrested them.
Police say Autry suffered a cut to his hand. His right index finger was bandaged, but he declined to discuss his injuries.
Martin's 17th birthday was this month. Her mother said she would have been a junior at Grady High School in the fall and was dating one of the boys who was arrested. She had never been in trouble before but had run away from home Friday night, her mother said in an interview with Fox News.
The surviving suspects, who were all arrested, were identified as Kendall Barksdale, 17; Christopher Hayes, 17; and Christopher Daniel, 18, and a 16-year-old whose name was not released due to his age.
Stephens said the group is believed to be linked to numerous pedestrian robberies.
Autry was honorably discharged in 1992 after serving in Operation Desert Storm. Told that many in Atlanta would consider him a hero for his actions, Autry disagreed.
"The heroes are those guys out there fighting for us every day and not getting respect," he said, referring to military personnel in Iraq and elsewhere. "Killing the attacker wasn't admirable; it was fight or flight, and I tried the flight."
