COLUMBIA, S.C. — The term right place, right time is the perfect way to describe the works of a good Samaritan who leapt into action during a random stabbing at a Walgreens in Columbia.
It all happened last Tuesday, as Kennis Goodman was making a delivery for work when things took a dramatic turn at the Walgreens on Devine Street.
“My first DoorDash order of the day I ended up coming to this store to pick up an order for a client and I wasn’t here that long like 2-7 minutes," he said.
Columbia Police said a man walked into the store and attacked one of the customers with a sharp object. Police said the attack appears to have been random.
“I then noticed that someone had just got tackled and then that same person then got stabbed, as the person that was walking to the register I dashed over to that person and kicked him off that individual and started tackling him and scuffled for the knife," he explained.
Goodman described the attacker at 6'1 and 230 pounds, but said his size didn't matter to him, all that mattered was helping the man that hurt.
"I got the best of him with the knife and held him down until everyone was able to get clearing.”
According to Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook, officers responded to 4467 Devine Street around 11:15 a.m. for a call of an assault in progress. When they arrived, they determined a man had entered the store and, without provocation, attacked another customer with an edged weapon.
A situation that could have been much worse had Goodman not taken action.
“If i didn’t take action, I don’t know what would have happened," Goodman said. "That random person could have been me, had it been me it would have been everyone else in the store so I'm glad I was able to stop him but it was God protecting and shielding me so I was able to do his work.”
Goodman says he was fearful during the interaction but was only thinking of the people and man that was injured, and still in touch with the man who was injured family.
“I haven’t been able to visit him in the hospital because I think he is still in intensive care but I am in contacts with his brother in terms of his health so I hope he makes a speedy recovery."
While many call him a good Samaritan or hero, he remains humble calling it a god ordained experience.
“I don’t want to sit around here and talk like a hero but i do want to do god’s mission but I do thank everyone for what they are saying," he said.
Goodman did visit the same Walgreens and tells News19 he will continue to check on workers following the incident.