Bystander intervenes as woman gets assaulted by ex-fiance

ROSEVILLE - A man comes to the rescue of a woman in a fight with her ex-fiancé behind a store in Roseville.The right place at the right time.

Chris Matthews showed his cell phone video of the morning he saw something wrong and tried to make it right Saturday morning.

"I told him, you need to keep your hands off her," he said. "As soon as he turned his head to go for her again, that's when I made my move and took him down."

It happened in a secluded back parking lot at the Red Wing shoe store next to two bars. That's where Matthews was, he was the designated driver picking up some friends from the bar when he something he couldn't ignore.

"She slumped down and her hands went up that's when I knew something wasn't right about that," he said.

Matthews said it was instinct that led him to intervene, as well as his upbringing. He says he was raised never to raise a hand against a woman.

"Do it to a man," he said. "Let's see how that plays out, it didn't work out for him. Because he's not a man. He's not upstanding; it's not what you do."

Roseville police say they were called out to investigate but say the woman involved didn't want to press charges and didn't even want to tell police the man's name.

It was news that came as a surprise to the man who helped save her.

"Try to stay away from that, that is not love," Matthews said. "Love is compassion, someone that is going to be there for you, not put their hands on you."

But when you speak to Karen Lewis with The Angel's House - a place in metro Detroit for victims of domestic abuse - it's not that shocking some victims chose to stay silent.

"They are afraid to turn in the men in who are abusing them (out of) fear for their lives," she said.

That's where her organization can offer help.

"What we do is get you a one-way ticket to a Safe Haven out of state," she said. "We are connected with 12 different states, 12 different Safe Havens. If you want to get away from the situation you're in and not look back, you can call the Angel House."

The biggest step she says is often the first one, reaching out in the first place.

"You don't have to be afraid of the abusers out there," she said.  "You are a victim and we are here to help you."

As for Matthews, he's just hopeful others will follow their gut and take action if they see injustice.

"I just hope this can be a step forward," he said. "And have everyone else be influenced by what I did."

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, learn more about The Angel's House at http://www.angelhouse.org/