Woman Jumps on Back of Crazed Man Attacking Cop; Then This Happened
February 20, 2017 By C.E. Dyer 3 Comments
A woman in Louisiana showed incredible bravery and heroism when she jumped on the back of a man who was assaulting a police officer, and may well have saved his life, or at the very least saved him from being hurt worse.
CBS News reported:
Vickie Williams-Tillman was on her way to run some errands when she noticed a police officer on the side of a road engaged in a heated conversation with a man outside of his car.
Police said that as the officer tried to secure the man in handcuffs, the driver became aggressive.
Williams-Tillman, 56, began to brake and rolled down her car window to ask the officer if he needed help. Before he could answer, she saw the suspect leap toward the officer.
Without hesitating, the woman dialed 911. But when police say the suspect took the officer’s baton and began to repeatedly hit the officer in the head with it, Williams-Tillman couldn’t just sit back and wait.
Instead, she jumped out of her vehicle and onto the suspect’s back.
The suspect has been identified as 28-year-old Thomas Bennett, of Albany, Louisiana. According to The Advocate, Bennett was detained after the second officer to arrive at the scene hit him with a stun gun, and was booked into Parish Prison on counts of aggravated battery, disarming a police officer, battery on a police officer, resisting an officer with violence, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
“Risking her own safety she jumped out of her vehicle and onto the back of the 28-year old assailant,” a statement from the Baton Rouge Police Department read. “Ms. Williams-Tillman was able to help hold off the assailant until other officers arrived.”
“It was something that went through my soul,” Williams-Tillman told The Advocate, a Baton Rouge newspaper.“You don’t think about the risk.”
According to the Advocate, the officer’s name has not been released, but they were able to report that he was treated at a local hospital and subsequently released on Sunday.
The Baton Rouge Police Department posted about how grateful they were for Williams-Tillman’s heroism on Facebook Sunday, in a post that has since garnered a great deal of attention from many who took the time to praise her for her bravery and heroism.
“Thank you Vickie for looking out for the officer,” one Facebook user praised Williams-Tillman. “You are a true hero!”
“This is what courage looks like–stepping outside of minding your own business and stepping in,” another Facebook user added. “Ms. Williams-Tillman could have just rolled on by, but she stepped up and stepped out of her comfort zone. Thank you for your selflessness!”
The police department agreed: “For going above and beyond in that moment to help our officer and possibly save his life we are forever grateful to you Ms. Vickie! For showing so much love and concern for one of our officers BRPDSalutes you” [sic].
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