Humble tradie rejects 'hero' title after tackling knife-wielding thief
A humble Melbourne tradie who was branded a hero after tackling a knife-wielding thief in the middle of a busy street has rejected the title, saying it's been "buttered up a lot".
Sam Dale had just finished having "a bit of a feed" in his car in Collingwood when he heard a woman's scream.
Without thinking he leapt into action despite having just "deleted a banh mi and a coffee".
Video of the arrest shows Mr Dale apprehend the suspect in a Hi-Vis vest. Supplied
First, he checked to see if the woman was ok before giving pursuit.
Incredible video then shows the 22-year-old tackling the man to the ground by himself in the middle of a major street.
The pair faced a long wait for police as cars whizzed by them.
Despite that, Mr Dale insists he's not a hero and said he "just did what he had to" to protect the community.
"Someone had to do it," he told Today.
Sam Dale insisted his actions weren't heroic. He just did what he had to do. Today
"I mean, he was walking around, there were people everywhere, so you know, he could have done that to someone else for all we know.
"It's been buttered up a lot to be honest. It was a good thing to do, but it's just, yeah, it's been blown up a fair bit."
The 36-year-old alleged thief has been charged with loitering, stealing $330 worth of groceries from Woolies and attempted armed robbery.
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