Just before midnight on Friday, a group of "furries" rushed to the aid of a woman who was being assaulted by a man in downtown San Jose, California. Hundreds of furries were out that evening after gathering at the city's annual FurCon.
Steven Rodriguez was taking a smoke break in the area with a friend when a vehicle came screeching down South Market Street. As the car came to a stop a woman's terrified screams yelled "Get out, get out, get out, get out," to the man in the passenger seat.
“It was pretty intense,” said Rodriguez, who calls himself a “silent observer” of furry culture and was visiting San Jose from Southern California to attend FurCon's after-hours parties.
“We saw the passenger just whaling on her. Just a full-on punch” Rodriguez says and that's when he and his friend got involved. The duo yanked open the passenger's door and dragged him out so he would stop beating the driver. The man then turned his anger on Rodriguez and began to attack him. Within minutes, a pack of five furries came to his aid, including a pink dinosaur, and a tiger who knelt down to restrain the attacker until the police arrived.
The attacker, 22-year old Demetri Hardnett, was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of domestic violence. The driver is believed to be his girlfriend.
Furries are enthusiasts who celebrate characters and stories involving anthropomorphic animals, or fictitious characters that have human traits and dress in fur costumes.
Photo: Getty Images