Sandy MaloneFort Worth, TX – A legally-blind Good Samaritan realized two Fort Worth officers were fighting with suspects and jumped in to help the officers take one of the men down (video below).
The incident occurred on Saturday morning when Fort Worth Police Officers David Woolbright and Matthew Brazeal responded to a call for shots fired in the 3400-block of Cimmaron Trail, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
The officers became involved in a struggle with two teenage suspects in the parking lot of a strip mall just as 57-year-old James Walker and his seeing-eye dog, Cassie, were leaving the Wells Fargo bank.
The suspects began fighting the officers, and one of them dropped a pistol on the pavement, KDFW reported.
“Then it got to the point where we have them both on the ground, and there’s an unsecured firearm,” Officer Woolbright said. “It becomes, ‘Ok, we have to get this firearm taken care of.’”
His partner agreed that the situation became much more dangerous when they realized at least one of the suspects had been armed.
“Now that a pistol is laying out, there’s no telling who else is around or what’s going on,” Officer Brazeal told KDFW. “He may try to pick it up and use it. We don’t know.”
Walker, who had been through the police academy and worked as a reserve officer in another department for three years before he lost his sight, did not hesitate to jump in and assist the police.
“I heard some intense conversations, I looked over and noticed there was police cars behind our vehicle,” he said. “I really feel like it was a God thing. I felt like God said, ‘Watch.’ So I stood there. I was obedient.”
Walker could hear the officers struggling with the suspects and wanted to help, so he put his police training into action.
Bodycam video showed he jumped on top of one of the suspects who was on the ground fighting with an officer and helped hold him down.
Using only his hands and feet, Walker prevented the suspect from rolling or flipping over as he fought being taken into custody, the video showed.
Officer Brazeal said he was grateful that Walker stopped to help them while so many other people just stopped to film the altercation on their cell phones, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
“The kid didn’t ever stop fighting,” the officer said. “[Walker] was blind but he was more capable than anyone else there. He deserves probably all the recognition here. We were just doing our job.”
Walker said his efforts showed that people still care about police officers and want to help them, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“I can see silhouettes,” Walker humbly told KDFW. “They didn’t really need my help. They did an amazing job. But I wasn’t going to walk away and let them get hurt.”
Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald gave Walker a commendation and the police department tweeted their gratitude.
“Mr. James Walker, you were able to show empathy and concern for everyone involved. Based on your experiences and awareness, you came to the aid of officers in need by tactically assisting in the arrest process,” Fort Worth PD tweeted. “Two officers went home safely to their loved ones thanks to your efforts on that day. Mr. Walker, you truly have a guardian spirit, and for this, the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department commends you (and thank you) for your actions.”
Watch the Good Samaritan jump in to help the officers in the video below: