FRANKLIN, VA – A potentially deadly situation was averted thanks to the quick actions of Terrel Majette, who intervened to protect two children from a knife-wielding attacker. Home surveillance cameras captured the terrifying incident on Norfleet Street, where a man was seen chasing the children on Wednesday evening.
Majette was on his front porch talking with his brother around 6 p.m. when the children came running towards them. “I was sitting on my steps here and the little girl, she said, ‘there’s a man chasing after us with a knife,’” Majette recounted. The boy ran home while the girl, terrified, sought refuge on Majette’s porch.
Reacting swiftly, Majette ran into his house, grabbed his firearm, and confronted the attacker. “As soon as I stepped on my porch, my brother was telling me from the car, ‘Hey bro, he’s charging, he’s charging,’” Majette said. Doorbell camera footage showed Majette calmly telling the man to go back to his house and not to come onto his property. Meanwhile, Majette’s wife, Rachel, ushered the girl inside and called 911.
Additional doorbell video obtained by 10 On Your Side showed the man with the knife trying to charge at the children next door and stabbing at the ground. The incident report from Franklin police revealed that the 29-year-old man is known to law enforcement and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Majette expressed relief at the outcome, stating, “I’m just glad I was able to maintain my composure and de-escalate the situation.” The children who were chased were not harmed.
This incident serves as a reminder that the majority of defensive gun uses (DGUs) end without a shot being fired, highlighting the importance of responsible armed intervention.
