Bravery (Estonia)

First appeared here.

On a dark February evening in Lasnamäe, Tallinn, a man named Heinrich Niitov was walking home from a meeting at his apartment complex. As he passed a trash enclosure, he caught sight of a disturbing scene. A woman was being attacked from behind by someone wielding a kitchen knife.

Heinrich didn’t pause to think. He rushed in, wrestled the attacker to the ground, and managed to disarm him. He stayed with the victim, keeping the assailant pinned until police arrived. He was injured in the process, but his calm and quick actions likely saved a life. Later, the Estonian state honored him with the Citizen Courage Medal. No spotlight. No parade. Just someone walking home who chose to step in.