Moment teen MMA fighter beats up suspected car thief outside gym: ‘Deescalating the situation’

US News

By Ronny Reyes

An 18-year-old Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt took down a man he thought was trying to steal his car outside his Indianapolis gym — but the suspected thief claims it was all one big misunderstanding.

Shocking new video from inside 10th Planet Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym showed the moment Gavin Archer confronted Andrew Wilkerson, a mechanic who was trying to enter the teen’s car on Monday, WISH-TV reports.

Archer could be seen arguing with Wilkerson just outside the door when the teen goes back into the gym and threatens to call the police on the mechanic, who claimed he was just trying to do his job and take the car in for an inspection at the muffler shop next door.

Wilkerson then appears to charge at Archer, who is backing away, but the blue belt is able to grab the man’s arm and blocks a punch as he wrestles Wilkerson to the ground.

Once they’re on the mat, Archer could be seen overpowering Wilkerson and positioning himself on top of him, where he delivers a series of punches against the mechanic.

A few seconds later, Archer gets Wilkerson into a chokehold and drags him away from the gym’s front desk and out of the camera’s sight.

Wilkerson told the outlet that the fight was a result of a misunderstanding, as Archer’s vehicle allegedly matched the description of the car he was supposed to work on next.

“He’s saying things like, ‘Don’t go anywhere. I’m calling the cops,’” Wilkerson said.

“I’ve worked there for a few months. I know what the gym does.”

“I know this guy’s a trained fighter, so when he says, ‘Don’t go anywhere,’ like the last thing I want to do now is turn around and not be able to see this guy,” he added.

“Finally, I took a stand, raised my voice a little bit and took a step like, ‘Hey, listen to me.’ He took a step back and pushed the gym door open the rest of the way, which in that situation looked like he was coming toward me next, so I just reacted and went after him,” Wilkerson claimed.

Archer, however, refutes the mechanic’s claims and said Wilkerson instigated the brawl.

“Deescalating the situation is Number 1,” the teen said of the rules of fighting.

“Best martial art is running away, but, if you can’t, you just need to have something else.”

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said a police report was created over the incident, but that no one was arrested.

Archer told local WRTV that he plans to file charges against Wilkerson, who is no longer employed at the muffler shop.