Washington State police department wants to thank Good Samaritan

An encounter in Aberdeen was defused thanks to the help of a man who aided a police officer.

Credit: KIRO7.com

Credit: KIRO7.com

An encounter in Aberdeen was defused thanks to the help of a man who aided a police officer.

A police department in Washington State wants to find a man involved in a violent scuffle, but not to arrest him.

A stranger helped save the life of an Aberdeen police officer during an arrest, investigators said. The department wants to thank the man for putting his own life in danger.

The officer tried to arrest a juvenile suspect on an outstanding warrant Wednesday afternoon.

When the officer tried to arrest the minor, he said “no” and tried to step away. According to investigators, the officer grabbed the suspect by the arm and the two hit the ground. While the officer was on top of the suspect, the officer saw him take a knife out of his pocket but was unable to wrestle it away, police said.

Cell phone video from a witness shows the violent encounter unfold for roughly three minutes.

Police don’t know what would have happened if a Good Samaritan didn’t run over to help.

Investigators said the man successfully knocked the knife out of the suspect’s hand, without any concern for himself.

The suspect continued to fight the officer and began grabbing items off the officer’s utility belt. With the citizen’s help, the officer was able to regain control and handcuff the suspect.

The Good Samaritan told the officer his name and went to catch the bus. However, the officer couldn’t remember the name. The Aberdeen Police Department wants to thank the citizen for helping the officer in the dangerous situation.

Police did not say what the warrant was for but did arrest the minor, who will be facing an additional charge for assault on a police officer.