Brian Kemsley, 33, was in the right place at the right time to interfere in the crime around 3 p.m. Nov. 9.
[Ads /]
"I saw this man playing tug of war with a baby stroller, telling everyone it was his baby," Kemsley said.
He was in the park with his girlfriend and stood back as others tried to pry the man from the stroller.
"Once they peeled his hands off the stroller, the mom could make a break for it with the stroller... it was then that I thought 'oh this is not going to go well right now,'" Kemsley said.
ALSO READ | Man wanted in attempted luring of 5-year-old girl on Long Island
Cellphone video shows Kemsley use a jiu jitsu move called a rear naked choke.
[Ads /]
"I used that to get him down and transitioned to a seatbelt grip, I wrapped my legs around him," Kemsley said.
Kemsley is a professional fighter. Muay Thai is his specialty, but he didn't want to hurt the suspect - just subdue him.
"The priority should always be to de-escalate a situation, it should always be to keep everyone safe," Kemsley said. "Not just to hurt people."
After about nine minutes, park police handcuffed the man who was ultimately transported to Bellevue Hospital for a psychological evaluation.
"There was a point I felt when I was holding onto him it wasn't just to keep him away from the mom and baby, it was to help him too," Kemsley said.
[Ads /]
The grateful mom returned to the scene to thank Kemsley who said he did what any New Yorker would have done.
TRENDING NEWS: Enormous alligator spotted on Florida golf course
Enormous alligator spotted on Florida golf course
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More Manhattan news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube
Submit a News Tip