While your intervention was done with good intentions, it's best to not start things out with physical violence, because you can wind up with assault or battery charges. If you can, get close to the suspected attacker and victim, and loudly ask the victim if they are okay, or if the groper is bothering them. If need be and possible without physically contacting them, place yourself between them. Getting a photo of the attacker before interceding is also a good idea, as it make it more likely that they can be located. If the attacker become physically violent with you or the victim before you or the victim does, you are less likely to have charges filed against you.

Why would you immediately escalate to physical violence

While your intervention was done with good intentions, it's best to not start things out with physical violence, because you can wind up with assault or battery charges. If you can, get close to the suspected attacker and victim, and loudly ask the victim if they are okay, or if the groper is bothering them. If need be and possible without physically contacting them, place yourself between them. Getting a photo of the attacker before interceding is also a good idea, as it make it more likely that they can be located. If the attacker become physically violent with you or the victim before you or the victim does, you are less likely to have charges filed against you.

Why would you immediately escalate to physical violence

Shouldn't you first read the women's facial expressions and body language first? Its not hard to tell if they are freaking out, telling if they are interested in you is another story. lol

I am happy that you stepped up to defend the sexual harassment/groping. But I sound like you acted to fast. You should have waited to what the women's reaction was. Sometimes people don't realize where PDA is appropriate.

I just don't understand why so many people have this uncontrollable hero complex cause of them to lash out with physical violence without even knowing what situation they are entering. It's a great way to get arrested for assault.

yeah you deserved it. who thinks its a good idea to put a stranger in headlock when there was nothing out of the ordinary happening? youre lucky they were too horny to think about suing

You are the creepy guy for turning to violence so quickly!!!

It's really great to see some people don't just stand by and do nothing when they see something wrong in public and I hail you for that! But like many have pointed out you could have waited to see the woman's reaction or approached first and talked to the person calmly or asked if anything is wrong and you would have found out that they were a couple and that he wasn't just a creep harassing her.

As someone who is familiar with self defense, the first thing I always say is “don’t make the situation worse.” Intervening on behalf of a third party is a risky endeavor at best. Sometimes distress is obvious, other times you need to be more discerning. You’re lucky it didn’t escalate any further as depending on where you are, the dude you headlocked would have been within HIS rights to do so.