A Sikh man in the U.S. was on Tuesday hailed as a hero for helping the police capture Ahmad Khan Rahami, wanted for the weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey.
Harinder Bains, the owner of a bar in Linden, found Rahami sleeping in the doorway of a bar he owns. Mr. Bains said he was watching news on TV on his laptop from another business across the street.
‘Just a regular citizen’At first, he thought he was some “drunk guy” resting in the vestibule but then recognised Rahami and called police. “I’m just a regular citizen doing what every citizen should do. Cops are the real heroes, law enforcement are the real heroes,” Mr. Bains said. When officers responded, Rahami pulled out a handgun and opened fire, striking an officer in the chest. A foot chase ensued, during which Rahami shot at a police car, causing a bullet to graze another office in the face. The chase ended when Rahami was shot multiple times.
Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra told PTI that Mr. Bains “dared to honour his Oath of Citizenship to protect and defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic — and it turns out that the Chelsea pressure cooker bomber suspect, a naturalised citizen, is caught by another immigrant, an Indian-American hero.”
In a statement, the National Sikh Campaign said this was brave and courageous act by Mr. Bains. “He heroically helped save many innocent lives and yet gave credit to law enforcement officers.
“Harinder Bains certainly did what every responsible citizen in America ought to do. Brave and courageous act!” said the National Sikh Campaign. — PTI
