CWA Heroes: Verizon Techs Stop Assault in Queens, NY

Members of CWA Local 1106 and Verizon technicians Michael Popowich, Anthony Howley and John Gilday.

Photo credit: Melissa Chan, Queens Courier, Queens, NY.

Three CWA Verizon workers, members of Local 1106, were working In Queens, N.Y., on Oct. 30. On the job, they saw a man push a woman to ground, start to pull off her clothes and assault her.

The three technicians chased the alleged assailant and wrestled him to the ground, holding him until police arrived.

In media interviews, the three talked about what happened.

"I'm not surprised by what we did. I think anybody who was in our situation would have done the same thing," Michael Popowich, a Verizon lineman.

"It was just natural instincts," said Anthony Howley, another Verizon lineman. "I didn't do it for any of the accolades or anything like that, it was just seeing a woman being attacked and we just stepped in to save her."

"We just reacted," John Gilday said. "I have daughters, a wife, sisters – I hope if something like that was happening to them, someone would do something about it. I don't want to see that happen to anybody."