Liam Neeson confronted some hoodlums who were stoning a dog to death in New York.
The 'Non Stop' action movie star went to aid the pooch after hearing a woman cry for help as he was jogging through the city's Central Park.
A source told National Enquirer magazine: "Abruptly changing direction, Liam charged down a path and confronted three gangbanger wannabe types who were throwing rocks at a stray they'd cornered up against a trash bin. Liam yelled that they'd better stop or he'd knock the crap out of them - but the punks just swaggered up and warned him to mind his own business. In a fury, he warned them to back off fast - or else."
The confrontation was brought to a close when the cruel guys spotted a police officer walking towards them and Liam, 61, to investigate what was going on.
The source added "Turns out it was the sight of an approaching cop that had spooked the boys. Liam just shook his head and approached the shivering dog, stroking it while the policeman assessed its injuries. The officer thanked the star and told him, 'I'll take it from here, sir.' "
Liam has become famous for tough guy action roles in recent years after starring in the 'Taken' films, 'The A-Team', 'The Grey' and 'Batman Begins'.
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