AndrewBlakeColumbus, Ohio – A grandfather may have saved the life of an armed suspect fleeing from police when he tripped the man and sent the suspect and the gun flying (video below.)
According to the Columbus Division of Police, the man whom police only identified as “Bill” was at the library with his granddaughter April 3, when the incident happened.
He was waiting outside to leave when he heard police sirens.
Bill, who was holding a walking stick at the time, told police that when he looked around, he saw a man with his hand in his waistband running toward him.
Bill said he heard officers yelling multiple times to drop the gun. He noticed that the suspect had a lead on the police officers so Bill stuck his back leg out to trip the suspect.
Police said that move likely saved the 18-year-old’s suspects life.
Bill said when the suspect fell, the gun went flying away from the suspect. Police then swooped in and made the arrest.
Officers recovered a Glock 9 MM pistol with an extended magazine which held 29 rounds.
The suspect has a lengthy criminal record and went back to jail, police said.
Inside Edition identified the suspect as Shawn Briggs.
Bill spoke to Inside Edition and said he only wants to be identified by the first name.
“I had one opportunity and I had to make the choice if I was going to act or if I was going to be a bystander,” Bill told Inside Edition. “I just stuck my foot out.”
Columbus Police Commander Scott Hyland was wearing a body camera that captured the chase.
“It scares me to death what may have been going through that young man’s mind and I fear he, for a split second, had some very ill intentions,” Cmdr. Hyland told Inside Edition.
“Community involvement, be it by courage, bravery, and/or fancy footwork, helped take a criminal off the streets of Columbus,” the Columbus Division of Police said on its Facebook page. “Thank you ‘Bill’ for sticking your leg out for us.”
Watch the video here: