On Friday, 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher was one of three people stabbed on a Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) train in Portland, Oregon after standing up to a man who was harassing two young women, one of whom was Muslim and wearing a hijab. Fletcher survived the attack, but 23-year-old Taliesin Namkai-Meche and 53-year-old Army veteran Rick Best lost their lives in the incident.
After being treated for wounds on his neck and chest, Fletcher was released from the hospital on Tuesday. He later opened up in two interviews about the attack, explaining what it means for the residents of Portland, and sharing a powerful message for the Muslim community in the city.
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Fletcher told local TV station KATU News that he wants people in Portland to work together to make the city a safer place for all its residents.
"If you live here, move here, or if you want to call this city home — it is your home. And we must protect each other like that is the truth, no matter what the consequences," Fletcher said.
He continued, "The Muslim community, especially in Portland, needs to understand that there are a lot of us that are not going to stand by and let anybody – whether they are from here or not – scare you into thinking you can’t be a part of this town, this city, this community, or this country."
In another interview with local TV station Fox News 12 Oregon, he said the residents of Portland should rally behind the families of Best and Namkai-Meche, who lost their lives in the attack, and help them during this time.
"We must stand hand-in-hand with one another and find a way to start ending the anger and the hatred, and to not allow anger and hatred to flood our city streets with violence and with the destruction that can come with it," he said.
Fletcher also added that he doesn't consider himself a hero, and said the real heroes were Best and Namkai-Meche. "It was the right thing to do," he said. "I'm not a hero, nobody special. I'm a kid from Portland."