Dr. Paramjit Chopra was attacked outside the Dreamforce Convention in San Francisco, California in mid-September
Chopra, a Chicago resident, told local media he was slammed to the pavement and thought that his spine was broken in the attack
Sept 11, 2023, a day of infamy in the USA and perhaps the world.
I am in San francisco at Dreamforce, the largest annual salesforce Meeting. San Francisco is notorious for it’s lack of safety, and Marc Benihoff, CEO of Salesforce, had already warned the city authorities. At around 9.30pm, after a nice executive dinner, I had a short 5 min walk from the venue to the Hyatt Regency on 3rd Street & market street. A half block from the hotel, I suddenly, from the corner of my eye, see a big AA guy rapidly approaching me. I just think he’s in a hurry and will pass me by. I notice that his look is ominous as his glare is fixated on me. Within a flash, he lunges at me head first, and I am launched into the air and land on the hard pavement. I’m dazed and feel sharp pain in my lower back.
Refusing to stay down, I crawl onto my hands and knees. I can’t get up. Within seconds, 4-5 young men (australian tourists) saw what happened, yelled out and run towards me, scaring off the assailant. My back and right shoulder are throbbing in pain and my head is still foggy. They stand me up and I lean against a wall and struggle to keep my balance. I can’t move. I’m terrified that I have broken my back, or hurt my head or that I’m bleeding and about to die. My life flashed before my eyes. I have so many responsibilities to so many people.
A young man picks up my turban and hands it to me. My instincts tell me that I need to get to the safety of the hotel lobby. The young australian tourist, Richard, assures me that he’ll stay with me, holds my hand and I struggle onto my feet. Wobbly and still unstable, he helps me across the street towards the lobby of the hotel. I thank him for his kindness. He bids me farewell. My head starts to clear a bit. My physician brain kicks in, and I quickly do a self assessment. I didn’t hit my head, no bleeding anywhere. Haven’t been stabbed or shot. No open wounds. Should I call 911, the police and go to the ER?
Oh! That’s another nightmare scenario. I’ll be there for hours. It’s unlikely they’ll catch the assailant and this will be a big deal for the conference, Dreamforce.
I walk into the lobby. I see a crowded bar and lobby full of Dreamforce attendees networking, enjoying themselves. I am now even more determined not to make a fuss and decide to head to the safety of my room.I am accustomed to carrying a lot of meds and an emergency medical kit.
Im still wobbly, processing all of this and I do a self assessment again. I type a text message to my friend, GP, who is at another hotel 25 mins away near the airport. I decide not to send it. I didn’t wanna keep all these folks up all night and make a fuss. I take a bunch of meds and stay awake for a bit. I examine my head again, I didn’t hit it. I take a cold shower, and then lay down. I fall asleep for a bit. I’m up again shortly in agonizing pain. I take more pain killers and take short naps.
The day after
I wake up still thinking about what motivated the man to attack me so fiercely, what was the spiritual reason here? Was this just a simple robbery? Or was this a racial or prejedical response to my wearing a turban? Or Is he just a dangerous predator? In any case, I then realized I should mention it to someone to prevent others from being hurt! I text an individual on the Salesforce team, so they could perhaps warn others to be vigilant. Or maybe, I just had to get this off my chest.
But instead, I am amazed and somewhat overwhelmed by the speed at which the news spread to almost every Salesforce team member who in some way had interactions with me. The level of kindness, care, concern for my safety was something I have never seen before in a corporate environment. I am loaded up on pain meds and decide to bravely face the challenges ahead of me: several meetings and a presentation. Soon, I am flooded with emails and SMS messages, from several executives, all the way up to global Head Of Security. I’m offered every kind of support, way beyond what they are required to do.
They accepted responsibility and took accountability for something way out of their control. I had tried earlier, although not with much effort and determination, to lodge a complaint, but the mounted police persons wanted me to travel far to the police station, which I just didn’t have the time to do. After a quick sms exchange with the Salesforce internal security team, I have 2 police officers kindly and thoroughly accept my complaints and start an investigation.
In the ensuing 48 hours, as I process this near death experience, I am overwhelmed by the profound care, kindness, responsibility exercised by the entire Salesforce team at all levels. (even though it’s not Salesforce’s fault or responsibility in any way). I really thought I was going to die! This could have gone badly in so many ways. If I l had landed on the pavement, 6 inches to the right I would have crashed my head into a lamp post, or a few more inches further out, I would have been pushed into the road under a moving vehicle. I could have been shot or stabbed, or suffered a fracture of the spine. The silver lining is that I feel blessed, that I have non-fatal injuries. I am recovering well. I feel so loved. So many folks went way beyond their call of duty. The anguish I sensed, amongst those close to me, after they heard the news and realizing the possibility of losing me, showed be how much I meant to them.
There are spiritual lessons in this too.
I am, along with all my loved ones eternally grateful.
Day 10
The 2023 9/11 experience for me was life changing. It sharpened my focus. Even though I was violently attacked, and it could have ended my life or maimed me temporarily or permanently, it had a blessing wrapped around it. I escaped with minor injuries. I learned a lot about myself, as unexpectedly, this incident receives a lot national and International Press. I realize that so many people love me and are so grateful that I am well and in their lives. I realize that my mission on this earth is far from over. I’m being told by many that the impact I have already made on so many lives is huge! Some tell me that I have been a beacon of light and hope in their lives, a source of inspiration and strength.
My heart and being swell with gratitude and joy as I absorb this, think about it, and it masks any pain or grief that this incident should otherwise have caused. I learn that the humanistic path that I live by is a good one and I need to work harder to recognize my dharma, my purpose and God given potential. As a physician, I see my patients with various ailments, in various degrees of pain and suffering. This incident, affirms my belief, that pain is a physical event, that although may be inflicted upon me involuntary, I have the choice to reject the emotion of suffering which is a mental and emotional event.
There are no accidents in the universe. It is what it is!
I just have to do my best and not take even a single breath for granted.
Romi Chopra
