Stockton Good Samaritan Saves Officer Struggling With Suspect
STOCKTON (CBS13) - The tables turned during a crime in Stockton when a citizen ended up saving a police officer.
Joe is being credited for getting involved when many wouldn't, and says if he had the choice he'd do it all over again. He had just pulled up to a stop light on Canterbury Drive Thursday afternoon, and once he saw what was happening, knew he had to help.
"I pulled up right there and I could see that the guy was trying to rip the gun out from the cop's holster," said Joe.
No matter how frightened Joe was, he wasn't about to let a Stockton police officer fight alone.
"I went down to the ground right here, got the guy's hand, ripped it off the gun, swung it out, and slammed it down on the cement here," Joe said.
Police say Phyrun Dok was breaking into a car, and when the officer tried to stop him, the Dok ran. The situation escalated in a parking lot when police say Dok reached for the officer's gun.
"A citizen saw what was going on and made a decision to get involved and help the officer," Stockton police Officer Joe Silva said.
Joe's decision to get involved may have saved the officer's life.
"I knew I had to do something, because somebody is going to end up dead here, you know," Joe said. "A cop's not going to be coming home to his wife or children or whatever, and I just jumped out and jumped on him."
More officers arrived quickly after. The suspect was arrested and Joe and the officer were OK.
"He was very thankful. He was very grateful for me helping him, him and all the cops," Joe said.
So why did Joe do it?
"Instinct," he said. "You know, could have been bad, could have been bad, that's all. Could have been a bad situation, that's all."
Joe says he knows what he did was dangerous, but says he'd do it again in the future.
Dok is charged with burglary and resisting arrest.
