Harold Nickens, Sr.

Harold Nickens, Sr. saved Mary L. Ritter from being shot, St. Louis, Missouri, January 5, 1965. At night in a dimly lighted street, Mrs. Ritter, 49, was accosted by a man wearing a stocking over his head and carrying a gun. He grasped her and warned her to be quiet or he would shoot her. When she struggled to free herself, the man twice struck her on the head with the gun. Mrs. Ritter screamed, attracting Nickens, 34, machine operator, who was walking 150 feet away. As Nickens ran toward them, Mrs. Ritter called a warning to him that the man was armed. Nickens continued toward them, and the man shouted to him to stay away or he also would be shot. Mrs. Ritter tried to break away, but the man held her around the neck and again struck her on the head. As Nickens approached to within 20 feet, the man pointed the gun at him and fired twice. Neither bullet struck Nickens. The man dropped Mrs. Ritter to the sidewalk and ran away. Nickens aided Mrs. Ritter to a nearby building, from where police were summoned. Mrs. Ritter recovered.