Turlock High School psychology teacher Ryan Tribble had just said goodbye to students in his first period class when he heard other students yelling, “Mr. Tribble, there’s a fight! There’s a fight!” 

“I start going toward the door and then I hear [the assailant has] got a knife...I just started running and I jumped the rail. I saw that it was one of my students,” Tribble said. “When I came out, I saw blood. There was a lot of blood.” 

Tribble was responding to a stabbing that occurred between two students on campus at 9 a.m. Nov. 5., which resulted in the arrest of one student and the hospitalization of another.

Students took cell phone videos of the incident and in one video shared with the Turlock Journal, the two teens are seen struggling with one another, and then the suspect starts stabbing the boy. The boy tried to run away, but the suspect was holding onto his shirt. At one point, the suspect is seen forcefully stabbing the boy in the back. 

The boy is able to break away from the suspect and runs away with blood streaming down his face and soaking his torn shirt. 

In the video, the suspect chases after the boy but is stopped by Tribble, who approaches him calmly and starts talking to him. He puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

“When I got up to him and I just looked in his eyes, man, I just saw a scared human being who was angry,” Tribble said. “I don’t remember if he had the knife. I don’t remember if he had already dropped it by then. I just kind of put my hands on his shoulders and was like, ‘Hey, it’s me, it’s Mr. Tribble.’” 

In a social media post over the weekend, Turlock Unified School District said “not all heroes wear capes” when it comes to Tribble. 

“The brave intervention yesterday of Ryan Tribble, a psychology teacher at Turlock High School, helped defuse a violent situation and prevent further harm,” the district wrote. “We are proud to have him in TUSD.” 

Tribble calls on community members to set an example of kindness and understanding while also urging those students who are struggling to reach out.  

“The only way to do this is in our homes and in our classrooms. Those of us who dedicate our lives to teaching, understand that it goes beyond our subject.  In our community, what we say and how we say it matters. So, what do the kids see? What do they hear? Do they witness anger, hate, fear, and division? Or, is the message acceptance, kindness, gratitude, and love for everyone?” said Tribble. “To all the students, if you are struggling, falling on hard times, sad, lonely, depressed, reach out! Especially on our campuses. There are people that care who are willing to help and guide you.”