St. Charles Man Honored For Saving Woman During Domestic Attack
(CBS) – A St. Charles man who risked his life to protect a total stranger will be honored for his heroic act with a prestigious national award.
CBS 2's Marissa Bailey reports.
Steve Spurling and his wife were walking their dog Moose last May when they approached a house in their neighborhood. Something wasn't right.
"We heard a bang on the inside of the garage door," Spurling says. "As the door went up, we saw this woman come rolling out underneath it."
The woman's face appeared battered, he says.
"As I'm helping her up, she's screaming, 'He's trying to kill me. He's gone nuts.' And now the husband is coming down the driveway."
The woman told Spurling her husband had a gun. The husband began firing down the sidewalk at his wife.
"I just kind of body-slammed him to the ground," Spurling says.
The gun went flying, and Spurling kept 66-year-old Scott Turnya pinned to the ground until police arrived.
The victim nominated him for the prestigious Carnegie Medal that recognizes outstanding acts of heroism.
He was only one of 20 recipients in the U.S. and Canada.
Spurling says he's just happy he was there to help.
"I am one of those people who fully believes that God does have something in store for each of us," he says.
The award ceremony date is likely going to be this summer.
Scott Turnya is out on bond but is scheduled for trial in June.