Street Ninja
Ever wondered what would happen if you brought a literal katana to a potential gun fight?
Last month, a man dressed in “full ninja garb” attacked a US Army special operations unit in the middle of the California desert, resulting in two injuries, according to a Facebook post by the local Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies “discovered the suspect had assaulted a victim at the scene with a sword, and thrown a rock through a hangar window, hitting an additional victim in the head,” according to the update — a bleak real-world twist on the “Snow Crash” formula.
Sword Art
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Gino Rivera, reportedly fought through non-lethal projectiles being shot at him and tried to flee the scene.
“Do you know who I am?” the ninja reportedly asked, according to documents obtained by Stars and Stripes. A soldier replied no. “Do you know where my family is?” the ninja asked, prompting another no.
A taser later forced Rivera to drop the sword, allowing deputies to take him into custody.
He’s now facing a host of charges including “attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a weapon, brandishing a weapon with the intent to resist or prevent an arrest, vandalism, and obstruct/delay a peace officer,” according to the update.
So there you go, folks. Just in case you were wondering why not to attack special operatives with a katana, here’s a fresh argument against it.
READ MORE: A ninja with a sword assailed a U.S. Army special operations unit in California [NPR]
More on sword fighting: YouTuber Uses Exoskeleton to Wield Gigantic Anime Sword