Michelle Basch, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – A small Capitol Hill bar was packed with patrons Wednesday night.
They were there as a show of support for an extraordinary bartender who put his life on the line for a customer.
Mike Boone of Trusty’s Bar in D.C.’s Hill East neighborhood was walking the woman home earlier this month when a man grabbed the woman’s purse.
Boone grabbed it back, and got into a fight with the purse-snatcher.
“We fought pretty hard for a little while, and he fought with a knife. I sustained eight stab wounds,” Boone says.
One of Boone’s lungs was punctured, and the wounds came dangerously close to almost every vital organ. He was flown out by helicopter, and spent four days in the hospital.
Police quickly made an arrest.
“A detective came in. I identified the guy through a lineup and they arrested him at 5 p.m. that day.
“I have absolutely no regrets. I feel like I did the right thing,” says Boone.
“A lot of people think that I did a foolish thing and they wouldn’t do that. I strongly disagree. People need to stand up.”
Boone is feeling better, and doctors tell him he’ll be able to return to work in two to three weeks.
But with no health insurance, Boone is facing huge medical bills. He says the helicopter ride alone could cost $8,000.
So, Trusty’s held a fundraiser for him Wednesday night that drew crowds of friends and strangers who stopped by just because they heard about what Boone did.
If you’d like to help the bartender pay his bills, you can make a donation at Trusty’s, located at 1420 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, or send a gift through PayPal to Boone’s email address: mike.boone@yahoo.com.
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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
