Gym owner fights off knife-wielding car prowler

By Valerie Hurst, KATU News Staff and KATU.com Web Staff Published: Dec 28, 2012 at 4:43 PM PDT Last Updated: Dec 28, 2012 at 7:02 PM PDT
Gym owner fights off knife-wielding car prowler »Play Video

Gym owner Greg Price was on his way to a family dinner on Christmas when he stopped by his Longview business.

He had just left his car for a couple minutes outside the gym. When he returned, Price came face to face with an armed car prowler.

That began Price’s dangerous confrontation in which he narrowly avoided being stabbed but managed to fight the attacker away.

The fight began after Price spotted the man loitering outside the gym, Forever Fit. The stranger was in a hoodie and standing by his car.

“He had his arms in the window grabbing,” he said.

The attacker turned, wielding a knife. Price ducked, missing the knife, and then swung a punch at the man. 

“It was a pretty hard punch,” he said. “It him in the stomach and caused that reflex where you drop the knife.”

That’s when Price grabbed the weapon and stabbed the attacker, though he doesn’t think the stab deeply penetrated because of the man's hooded sweatshirt.

The man ran off, carrying items he had looted from the car: a printer and an envelope with $500 from one of Price’s clients.

Price said he wasn’t worried about the stolen items. He credits his fitness training for being able to defend himself.

“I consider myself lucky because it could’ve turned out a lot worse,” he said.

One of Price’s clients, Tom Grasser, said it was the attacker who was fortunate.

“He’s lucky he got away the way he did because he could have easily been hurt real bad by Greg,” Grasser said.