Woman fights off carjacking suspect: 'I was just trying to survive'
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ALOHA, Ore. – Dawn Durbin said she was in her parked car with three friends when she heard a “tap” on her window.
“I look back and there’s a gun in my face,” she said.
Durbin’s car was parked outside Club Underground in Aloha on Thursday night. The man at her window yelled for her to get out.
“I turned off the car, dropped the keys on the floor board,” said Durbin. “I had a knife sitting right there, so I grabbed it [and] I opened up my door.”
Durbin, 33, got out of the car with the knife behind her back. She said she pushed his gun hand away, grabbed the man and pushed him into a wall.
“We got closer to the wall and he went at me again with the gun. I swiped his arm away and kicked out at him to put his feet out from under him.”
When Washington County sheriff’s deputies arrived, they said they found several people holding the man down.
No one was seriously hurt.
“I was just trying to survive," said Durbin.
Deputies took the man, identified as 30-year-old Daniel Broome, into custody and took his loaded handgun. Broome was taken to the Washington County Jail. He faces a first degree robbery charge.
Good for her! Â He's lucky she let him live.
Good thing she was as tough as she is. Just remember to hit the top of the gunman's forearm HARD. That causes pain, and the gun will drop. Then do a great kick to the groin, and he's really in pain. =)
Wow a real loaded gun too. Too bad there was not t one serious injury
  Â@Bert You jackass, you wishing there is a serious injury? Â
This is one determined lady who wasn't going to let some scumbag control the situation. He was caught off guard got to suck the pavement. Kudos for being one tough lady.
@The Resistance ~ Here's hoping this might make him think twice before trying the same stupid idea again..!  :-)
im grateful the headline writer did not do a typo and accidently insert the letters. "w a n g" in place of "car". *whew*Â
@Ken Ling You should come back here when you get out of fourth grade. By then you might have something intelligent to contribute.
@Old29Â I'm quite sure he isn't Asian. Â The ones I know are much classier than this.
Great job young lady!! I am glad it turned out the way it did. And glad some other people stepped in and helped hold the criminal down. Better to fight back in a possible no win situation. Glad the police have this worthless person in custody. Not just hope that he is kept behind bars for a nice long vacation. Of course if the other criminals find out he got whopped by a young lady..they may have some laughing times.
If she had a nightstick, it would be been even better ..:-)
All in all great job!
You go girl. You refuse to be a victim. Nice work.
I can't believe that the gun didn't just jump up and start shooting people by itself. Oh. What's that? The trigger doesn't pull the finger? Never mind.
Life is gonna be hard for Daniel if he's packing iron and still gets beat up by a woman with a knife. What a doofus.
As Song for Daniel (If you grew up in the sixties, you'll know the tune.)
Daniel Broomeâs not a man, not a real man.
He was beat down by a girl for all of her friends to see.
Daniel Broomeâs not a man, not a real man.
When he goes to prison, theyâll turn a he to a she.
@HenryBowman Your Grammy's in the mail.
@JLO @HenryBowman Thank you. I will donate it to the Fess Parker Scholarship Fund.
Way to go girl. You ROCK!!!
No the brightest bulb in the pack. Â She could have just driven away if she was that bold. A car is not worth you life. She didn't even consider the lives of her passengers. Â No really a good choice or worth all the bravdo given here. Â Some other young gal may try the same thing without success.
@my2cents This is exactly the kind of spineless, milque toast mentality that led to a few men with box cutters being able to take over an entire airplane full of able bodied people.  The police like to preach this approach knowing they can't get there in time to stop the crime anyway. Â
Once criminals start to think that their potential victims are going to stand up to them they will begin to think twice about perpetrating these crimes.
Who dares wins!!! Â Bravo Miss Durbin
@my2cents I agree 100%. I'm glad things turned out the way they did, though.
@my2cents
um assuming alot there arn't you? he could've easily shot at her while fleeing. Bullet do go through windows,willing to take that bet,it was a no-win situation and you should try whatever works and this did for her.
Give her the key to the city!  And a beer!
WTG, Ms. Durbin! Â Hopefully this will be the only encounter you'll have with the "bad guys" for the rest of your life. Â If not, they'd better watch out! Â One can only imagine how much more dangerous you'd be if you have Krav Maga or Karate-type training! ;)
Give her a medal and execute the guy.
If her car was still running, she would have better chances just speeding off and then calling the cops (unless this happened in a very packed parking lot). Glad everyone is okay and the bad guy got what he deserved.
Dawn you are one tough cookie, girl!
Yes ....better to be shot dead .. than to be Raped and shot dead....She shoul have sped off ....
There is something very, very scary about a woman with a knife.Â
WTG, Ms Durbin..! Â Â VERY well done..! Â Â Cars are replaceable, but we don't always know that the car is the only intended "goal" of the criminal...and if the guy as a gun in his hand, I would assume the worst intention and, as you did, fight back accordingly to defend my life...
I'd be very surprised if Broome doesn't have a record as a "less than stellar" citizen...here's hoping he'll be tried, convicted and locked away for a good long time... (not holding my breath on that last part, though)...
Girl power! Good for you.
"Knives"...never leave home without them...
That's one tough cookie! Good for her, but that could have gone a lot different. Glad she was successful and the cops caught him! Way to go!Â
Just seen a photo of this POS on the Wash Co. sheriffs site. Another white trash loser with his boyfriend's name tattooed on his neck. Must have come from a wonderful family. Good job raising your son dad. Or, was he even around? Â
No to add insult to injury..may we see the man taken down by the woman ....We would love to see what he looks like...and Glad the girl chose self defense and not excessive force. sounds like she She Knows "Mr Martial Bbelt Art" I bet that car jacker will get his up and comings ..and if a liberal judge tosses him back in to the pool, then maybe the Judge isn't doing their job and needs a debarring.
@lee986321 Why must those of you on the right, turn everything into something political?  Congratulate her and STFU.
Way to go, Dawn.
Add a flame throwing kit to ones car, Hijacker comes and toast them.
Can we legally do that here in the US?
@lee986321Â Sure if you have a good reason to have one and happen to "accidentally" hit the ignite button in your sheer panic. ;)
@lee986321
Here ya go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_(flamethrower)
You go girl! Should have aimed a little lower but that will do. Now the justice system just needs to do its job and jail that POS for about 10-years.
Knife to a gunfight... usually doesn't have a happy ending.... whew... good job!
The only better outcome would be if she had managed to somehow run over his neck with her car. Save society a lot of money and future trouble.
Cool chick. Way to go baby! Maybe she has a bunch of brothers, I don't know, but she has skills!!
@swimbad It's just like my Dad told me. Never point a gun at anyone unless you are prepared to pull the trigger, cause they might just take it away and use it on you. I hope she got a few god kicks in before the cops got there.
Daniel Broome should be the laughing stock of the prison after taking a major beat-down from a woman. He'll still get to be someone's girlfriend though.