Last night my husband and I were trying to help a homeless man in distress and the owner of Pasha Hookah Lounge, Serkan Bikim (guy in black shirt), completely escalated a very harmless and peaceful interaction which led to him not receiving any help.

We had noticed a homeless brother who seemed incoherent and scared, we asked if he needed help, and he asked if someone can call 911 for him. I asked if he was sure, and he said yes please.

I called the nonemergency line and requested an ambulance and medic team only. No police, but unfortunately with med calls, police always respond. Before anything got out of hand, I approached the officer who was seemingly looking for this guy.

Told him that he is harmless, he is safe, he trusts us, and we’re just gonna wait until ambo rolls out with a medic team, and if him and his partners can wait outside to not scare him. The first time in my life law enforcement backed off and waited. (ACAB 24/7 THO)

As medic slowly arrived, we brought him out, we told him he’s safe and he’ll be okay, and we’re gonna try and get him in a shelter or get him a place to stay tonight. The man was particularly responsive to my husband, who’s a social worker, he was able to get his name from him.

While everyone is peacefully cooperating, (even the cops to my surprise), the owners of the restaurant bum rush the homeless guy, one immediately gets in my face and tries to intimidate me and question why I called the cops.

I assured him I did not, but they have to respond to all situations, including nonemergency, and that this guy asked me for help and I’m not going to deny him that.

He then got closer to me, to the point where he’s only an inch from my face, and says “this makes my business look bad.” I told him this has nothing to do with his business and to back off because he’s scaring the poor guy.

During this, the homeless man was clearly overstimulated, he tries to go back inside the restaurant, and the dude in the wrinkly fucked up shirt yells at him, telling him he can’t come in without a mask while there are 15+ ppl at the bar WITHOUT masks and NOT social distancing.

After this, I ran to the medic team and cops and were telling them the owners are making it worse and escalating the situation and if we can remove them since we are on public and county property.

This didn’t matter though, as the poor guy got scared and refused medical help. He then ran off and didn’t receive any of the help we were trying to get him.

The owners of Pasha care more about their “image” than the social & mental wellbeing of the residents of the city they inhabit. Redwood City is home to a large population of homeless people, and Serkan Bikim decided to antagonize us and harass while we were trying to help someone

Fuck this shitty establishment, the owners, the bystanders and customers who just watched as they ignored this dude pleading for help. As well as this, they ignore social distancing protocols, no one is wearing masks in the establishment, and giving tobacco products to minors.

Minor update: we waited for him since we ordered him food. We ran into him again but he didn’t want anyone to help him. I gave him his food, he said thank you, and he just seemed hungry but wanted space. We let him go, but I genuinely feel like I failed him.

We always say that we want to help ppl before they become hashtags, but when that moment is there, humans collectively fail each other. This guy could have offered the brother food, could have asked if he needed anything, but instead, he was looking for any reason to be superior

Also adding to this thread; it was uncovered the owner, Serkan, is a racist: https://twitter.com/tallpbm/status/1274850964344725505?s=21 https://twitter.com/tallpbm/status/1274850964344725505