The courage of Amarjit Singh, 56, has caught the imagination of New York and the tabloids are hailing him as a hero.

Here's why: At around 10:30 am on Saturday, 38-year-old Lee Coleman, a homeless man, walked into Texas Smokehouse BBQ at Second Avenue in Manhattan, where Singh worked. Coleman wanted to use the bathroom. Singh told the man the shop was closed.

What Singh did not know then was that Coleman had just had a minor fight at a nearby Starbucks and that he was dangerous.

Coleman ran into the kitchen and grabbed four large knives. As Singh tried to stop him, Coleman slashed his ear and stormed out. Singh ran in the opposite direction, leaving a trail of blood that stretched an entire city block, according to reports. His sliced ear was hanging off his face.

When he looked back, he found Coleman attacking an old woman -- later identified as psychologist Susan Barron, 67 -- who was walking her dog.

'Singh instantly made a decision that proved him one of our city's very best and bravest. This chef from Queens by way of India became New York royalty as he forgot his own wounds and dashed straight back into the mortal danger he had just been so lucky to escape,' The New York Daily News commented.

'The madman looked up from the bloodied woman and rose on seeing the courageous Singh approach. A 25-year-old onlooker named Antionette Brown watched amazed as the madman slowly backed up. He was clutching at least four knives but seemed unnerved by Singh's uncommon courage and selflessness, as if Evil were being vanquished purely by the power of Good. He probably saved her life, Brown later said.'

Gregory Chin, an off-duty police officer, who was at the nearby diner soon appeared on the seen and asked Coleman to drop the knives. But Coleman resisted and Chin fired at him wounding him in the stomach.

'In the meanwhile, Singh grabbed towels and aprons from the Smokehouse. Onlookers then watched Singh ignore his own wounds as he sought to stem the woman's bleeding,' Daily News noted. 'Singh could have continued fleeing down Second Ave. from the madman who had just slashed him. Or he could have remained on that bloody spot until help came. He did not.'

Singh is in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital after a surgery to reattach his ears.

Singh's nephew Bajinder was proud of his uncle. 'He always tried to protect someone and do the right thing, he never cared about himself,' Baljinder told the media. Singh has three grown up children.

All those involved in the incident were hospitalised and are recovering.

Coleman, who has prior arrests for assault and other charges in Georgia and New Jersey, was charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Coleman, a former male model, suffered nervous breakdowns in 2005 and again earlier this year.

'He (Singh) now also becomes kin to such other remarkably good guys as the construction worker who threw himself atop a stranger as a subway train bore down on them,' Daily News noted.

Text and Photograph: George Joseph in New York