“Dev acted on his natural instinct.”
Dev Patel wasn’t just a bystander when he witnessed a dangerous incident going down in Australia.
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Earlier this week, the actor was outside of a gas station in Adelaide, Australia when he saw a man and a woman fighting nearby.
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When their conflict moved inside of the convenience store, things escalated and the woman pulled out a knife, stabbing the man in the chest.
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According to 7News, Dev and other witnesses quickly moved in to attempt to stop the altercation from going any further.
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“Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight. The group was thankfully successful in doing so,” Dev’s rep said in a statement.
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Dev then “remained on site” following the attack “to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived.”
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Police later reported that the stabbing was not random and the man and woman knew each other. The man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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Despite the situation being dangerous, Dev’s rep says there were “no heroes” in the incident.
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“This specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalised members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” their statement said.
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They added that Dev hopes that the media attention he is bringing to the story “can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved but the community at large.”
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The woman involved in the stabbing has since been charged with aggravated assault causing harm and the man is expected to recover.