Rahul Dubey says the scene resembled a "human tsunami".
He had opened the door of his row house in a leafy part of Washington DC after hearing "screaming, beating and people getting their heads slammed down on the ground".
Moments earlier, hundreds had started marching down 15th Street, a major thoroughfare, to protest the death in police custody of George Floyd.
Some claimed police chased them into the suburban neighbourhood, using flash-bang grenades, to keep them away from the area around the White House, where fires have been lit and businesses looted in recent days.
It was two hours after the district's 7:00pm curfew on Monday.
Choppers suddenly started circling overhead and police dressed in riot gear cut the protestors off, driving most into a side street.
I witnessed some of it from my youngest daughter's bedroom about 30 metres away, as I pulled her from her cot and moved her further away from the windows as a precaution.
The demonstrators were swiftly surrounded and pepper spray appeared to be used, as officers "corralled" people into an ever tighter cordon in order to arrest them.
"They were really scared, running for their lives," Mr Dubey told the ABC.
"I saw the pepper spray being used and people tripping and I just for 10 minutes said, 'Get in my house, get in.'"
He took in more than 50 people and sheltered them until the curfew ended at 6:00am, ensuring they were not taken into custody.
Mr Dubey believes officers were being too confrontational.
"You just open the door [to the protesters], you would have done the same thing too," he said.
"The [officers] were spraying pepper spray in through the window and people were using milk and water to try to get it out of their eyes.
"I do some work in Colombia — it is 10 times safer than what I feel right now in north-west Washington DC, our nation's capital."
Although there are mixed views in the city of Washington about the ongoing protests, Mr Dubey's actions have been hailed by some in his neighbourhood.
Throughout the day, several people dropped off cards and gifts on his doorstep. Some of the visitors said they planned to emulate his move and take in protesters if demonstrations flared again.
"He opened his home for a street full of strangers," DeWan Lee said, after bringing bottles of water.
"Those people could have robbed, killed, done anything to this man, but he helped them. This was a Jesus act.
"They're kids, most of [the protesters].
"We need to remember they are trying to make a better life for themselves and their community."