An Indianapolis man working out at a mixed martial arts gym got into an argument with a man he said was trying to steal his car on Monday, eventually knocking the man down and strangling him to death.
“I was a little nervous and then he just attacked me. It all happened so fast, I didn't have time to think,” Gavin Archer told WISH-TV.
The entire incident was caught on security cameras at the gym. Archer was working out when he noticed someone trying to get into his car parked outside. It turned out to be Andrew Wilkerson, who worked at a muffler shop next door.
Wilkerson said it was all a misunderstanding, as Archer's car matched the description of the next car to be serviced, and Wilkerson was trying to use the car keys to get into the car.
“I tried it for a few minutes and then you can see in the video I started walking towards the store,” Wilkerson said.
As can be seen in the video, Archer saw him and came to the gym door.
“He was like, 'Don't go anywhere. I'm calling the police,'” Wilkerson said. “I eventually changed my tune, raised my voice a little bit, took a step forward like, 'Hey, listen to me,' and he took a step back and pushed the gym door all the way open. It looked like he was going to be coming at me next in that situation, so I just reacted and went after him.”
Wilkerson crashed through the gym door and Archer tackled him to the ground, and while Wilkerson claims Archer escalated the situation, Archer claimed it was against his MMA training.
“The best thing is to calm the situation. The best fighting technique is to run away, but if you can't do that, you need to do something else,” Archer said.
Indianapolis Police said they have a police report on the incident but that no arrests have been made. The muffler shop where Wilkerson worked said he no longer works there.
