Tuesday, March 22, 2005 • Two assaulted with knife when trying to help girl

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, March 22, 2005 edition of the Lassen County Times.

Thanks to the intervention of two Lassen County men, a girl from Susanville is safe from her ex-boyfriend.

At 5:43 p.m. Thursday, March 16, Jack Look, of Susanville, tried to intervene on the girl’s behalf after witnessing Barry Damar Hicks allegedly hit the girl on the head during an argument in the Safeway parking lot.

During the intervention, Hicks stabbed Look in the arm.

Robert Salem, of Janesville, apparently witnessed the altercation and tried to stop Hicks from escaping. Hicks allegedly cut Salem’s arm and escaped in a white Dodge Avenger, owned by Michael Logan.

Look was taken to Banner Lassen Medical Center where he was treated for a stab wound. Salem received superficial cuts to his right arm and did not require medical treatment.

Officers from the Susanville Police Department responded to the Safeway parking lot to assist Look and Salem. Lassen County sheriff’s deputies responding to the scene located the Dodge traveling westbound on Main Street near Hall Street at a high speed. Deputies pursued the Dodge a short distance until Hicks lost control of the car and spun out of control near Burger King.

Deputies used their patrol cars to corral the car to the curb to prevent Hicks from resuming his flight and further endangering the public, stated a press release from the SPD.

Hicks allegedly refused to surrender and had to be forcibly removed from the car. Police recovered the knife allegedly used in the attack.

Hicks received minor injuries in the collision. He was taken to BLMC where he was treated and then booked into the county jail.

As of Thursday, March 17 Hicks was being held on a $35,000 bail.

The police did not issue a statement on the well-being of the girl.

The owner of the car, Logan, had gotten out of the car when the altercation between Hicks and the girl began. He was left at the scene when Hicks fled in the car.

The case is still under investigation and has been submitted to Lassen County District Attorney Bob Burns for prosecution.