Amanda Hardy and Courtney Sucher, two friends from central Alabama, faced a terrifying encounter while traveling on a train in Brussels during a trip to Europe to celebrate their two daughters’ upcoming 13th birthdays.Sucher described the unsettling moment when she saw a man walk out of the bathroom, adjusting his belt, marking the beginning of a frightening incident. The man approached them with a scarf in his hands, asking if they were American. Hardy recounted, “He asked, ‘Do you like ICE?’ And we did not respond to that. He then pulled out a knife, our estimation is about 18 inches long or so. He then threw down that jacket and scarf on the ground, and that’s when he said, ‘F ice, I can shoot too. I shoot faster than Americans.'”Despite the women running through the train screaming for help, no one intervened, possibly due to a language barrier. “It really wasn’t until we exited the train that people were coming up, which in our defense, we were very stand-offish because we didn’t know where he was,” Sucher said. Their attempts to seek help from the U.S. Embassy in Belgium were futile, as Sucher explained, a representative told them, “They do not work on weekends, and if we have our passports in hand, there’s nothing they can do.” Law enforcement also seemed skeptical of their story. Hardy explained that she attempted more calls to the U.S. Embassy in Belgium and family back home in the state. Her daughter tried to explain to an officer that her mother was making calls to get help. Hardy said she noticed a troubling interaction with that officer who confronted her daughter.”If you talk to me again, I will detain you with the man that tried to kill you because that’s how you do it in America,” Hardy said. Hardy and Sucher are now sharing their story to raise awareness and advocate for change, hoping to assist others who might find themselves in similar situations. “We have expectations of how the U.S. government should handle an emergency situation involving minor children. If you’re in another country. Especially when you are being attacked,” Hardy said.The women told WVTM that this wasn’t the first time they’ve traveled out of the country, and that they research the areas they’re visiting to make sure safety is a priority. They believe there should be a warning for U.S. citizens traveling through Brussels to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Hardy said she has been in contact with Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s office about what happened. According to Hardy, they have filed a complaint with the State Department.
Amanda Hardy and Courtney Sucher, two friends from central Alabama, faced a terrifying encounter while traveling on a train in Brussels during a trip to Europe to celebrate their two daughters’ upcoming 13th birthdays.
Sucher described the unsettling moment when she saw a man walk out of the bathroom, adjusting his belt, marking the beginning of a frightening incident. The man approached them with a scarf in his hands, asking if they were American.
Hardy recounted, “He asked, ‘Do you like ICE?’ And we did not respond to that. He then pulled out a knife, our estimation is about 18 inches long or so. He then threw down that jacket and scarf on the ground, and that’s when he said, ‘F ice, I can shoot too. I shoot faster than Americans.'”
Despite the women running through the train screaming for help, no one intervened, possibly due to a language barrier.
“It really wasn’t until we exited the train that people were coming up, which in our defense, we were very stand-offish because we didn’t know where he was,” Sucher said.
Their attempts to seek help from the U.S. Embassy in Belgium were futile, as Sucher explained, a representative told them, “They do not work on weekends, and if we have our passports in hand, there’s nothing they can do.”
Law enforcement also seemed skeptical of their story. Hardy explained that she attempted more calls to the U.S. Embassy in Belgium and family back home in the state. Her daughter tried to explain to an officer that her mother was making calls to get help.
Hardy said she noticed a troubling interaction with that officer who confronted her daughter.
“If you talk to me again, I will detain you with the man that tried to kill you because that’s how you do it in America,” Hardy said.
Hardy and Sucher are now sharing their story to raise awareness and advocate for change, hoping to assist others who might find themselves in similar situations.
“We have expectations of how the U.S. government should handle an emergency situation involving minor children. If you’re in another country. Especially when you are being attacked,” Hardy said.
The women told WVTM that this wasn’t the first time they’ve traveled out of the country, and that they research the areas they’re visiting to make sure safety is a priority. They believe there should be a warning for U.S. citizens traveling through Brussels to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Hardy said she has been in contact with Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s office about what happened. According to Hardy, they have filed a complaint with the State Department.