Good Samaritan who stopped attack in Oakland’s Chinatown honored
A Good Samaritan was honored in Oakland after he stepped in to stop a brutal attack at a grocery store in the city's Chinatown. Tom Jensen doesn't know what came over him the day he fought off an attacker at Won Kee Grocery last week.
By Kara St. Cyr
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OAKLAND, California (KPIX) — A Good Samaritan was honored in Oakland after he stepped in to stop a brutal attack at a grocery store in the city’s Chinatown.
Tom Jensen doesn’t know what came over him the day he fought off an attacker at Won Kee Grocery last week.
“It was all on automatic. I wasn’t afraid,” Jensen told CBS News Bay Area as he was walking through Chinatown.
The 71-year-old year old has lived in a motor home on the streets near Chinatown for 20 years. But he never anticipated having to defend it.
Tom Jensen (center) being honored by the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council on April 15, 2025. Jensen was called a hero after stopping a recent attack at the Won Kee Grocery.
Jensen stepped in to stop an unknown man from attacking a store employee on Thursday.
The employee had asked to inspect the man’s bag before he entered the store. Jensen intervened – and security video shows him being shoved into a shelf and hit repeatedly by the attacker.
If the same thing happened today, he says he’d gladly step in again.
“It’s a subconscious decision that one makes,” he said.
The store’s owner, Shirley Lou, joined the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council and representatives for city leaders to honor Jensen for his bravery.
“You can get food every week, I can help you,” Lou said to Jensen during a ceremony honoring him.
Along with an offer to cover his meals at the store- they presented Jensen with certificates and awarded him $1,600. Touched, Jensen humbly accepted.
“I don’t think I’m a hero, I think I did what I was supposed to do, I did my duty,” Jensen said. “I accept this with gratitude.”
Jensen’s award represents more than one grocery store and one act of kindness. It’s a symbol of unity in the face of hardship and a reminder of just how strong the Oakland community can be.
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