Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Walsh was saved from a brutal beating by three Good Samaritans on Sunday after he attempted to pull over a driver who had run a stop sign.
Walsh was patrolling the area on his motorcycle when he nearly run over by the suspect, identified as Corey Johnson, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). Johnson faces several charges after the vicious attack including, Aggravated Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting an Officer with Violence, Resisting an Officer without Violence, Depriving an Officer of Means of Communication, Felony Criminal Mischief, Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer, and Driving While License Suspended or Revoked, the Gateway Pundit reports.
The PCSO says the incident began at around 9:00 a.m. Sunday, when Deputy Walsh, who is assigned to the Traffic Unit and was patrolling the Winter Haven area on his motorcycle, saw the suspect fail to obey the stop sign. Walsh had to brake as he was nearly hit by Johnson’s car. The officer immediately turned on his lights and set on a pursuit of the suspect.
At first Johnson ignored Walsh, but eventually pulled over. When the police officer approached the vehicle, Johnson ignored instructions to stay inside the car and hand his driver license over. The suspect got out of the car and began punching Walsh in the head and face “dislodging his agency-issued radio headset and knocking the deputy to the ground.”
“Johnson then straddled Walsh across his chest and continued to punch him and attempting to remove his gear from his duty belt. Walsh kept one hand firmly on his firearm so that the suspect could not remove it, and was able to flip the suspect off of him, at which time the suspect fled on foot.”
“Several passing motorists witnessed the incident and stopped to assist. George Cooper rushed to assist Walsh, who was laying on the road, and then ran after Johnson. Antonio Velazquez stopped his car and attempted to tackle Johnson as he fled. By that time, Walsh got up and also assisted in detaining the suspect, who was still fighting. Christopher Carver saw the struggle and also stopped to help. Johnson continued to actively resist all four men’s efforts to subdue him. Walsh’s Taser and radio microphone headset were broken during the fight. Through the efforts of the three Good Samaritans, Deputy Walsh was able to take the suspect into custody and call for back-up.”
Officer Walsh suffered numerous bruises, abrasions, and a broken thumb and was taken to the hospital. Luckily, his helmet protected his head from Johnson’s blows. Sheriff Grady Judd publicly thanked the three Good Samaritans who came to his officer’s rescue on the department’s Facebook page.
Officer Walsh is now recovering from his injuries, thanks to the help of these three Good Samaritans.
[Image via Facebook]
3 Good Samaritans Help Subdue Suspect After Florida Officer Is Viciously Attacked is an article from: The Inquisitr News