Good Samaritan pulls injured officer to safety in Texas highway shootout, video shows
.png "A Houston man is being thanked for his quick action that helped save a police officer who was injured during a highway shootout.")
A Houston man is being thanked for his quick action that helped save a police officer who was injured during a highway shootout.
Just after 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, police came across a vehicle that was involved in a carjacking the day before. The vehicle took off, leading police on a chase, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a news conference.
Shortly after, police say the vehicle crashed into several other vehicles. That’s when officials say the driver got out and began shooting.
“He engaged and shot one of our officers, he went down at that time,” Finner said.
But, while the officer was down, a bystander stepped up to help.
“I just kinda ran over there, and I grabbed that guy with the other police officer. Me and him, together, we grabbed him by his vest and dragged him behind the truck. And I kind of tucked him beneath the truck so he wouldn’t get shot again,” John Lally told KTRK.
Lally was wearing a body camera that captured the incident, the outlet reported. In the video, you can see Lally and another person pulling the cop to safety, and telling him he will be ok.
“It’s just your leg. It’s just your leg, you hear me? Just squeeze my hand as tight as you have to. Do you know what I’m saying? Don’t worry, I’m here with you,” Lally can be heard saying in the video obtained by KTRK.
Lally told KHOU he decided to record what was happening, just in case his job didn’t believe him. When the shots were fired, he just jumped into action.
“I kind of didn’t even know there was a shooting still going on you know, like, in my head I was just, like, ‘Man, I gotta go get this guy real quick,’” Lally told KHOU.
Finner thanked Lally for his quick action that helped save the officer, as well as others at the scene who stepped in.
“There’s one citizen out there, who has had some trouble with law enforcement in his life. But, today he and a few other citizens, along with our officers, when that officer went down, they pulled him to safety,” Finner said.
Finner said the man was shot by officers multiple times. He was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
At least three officers fired their weapons and will be placed on administrative leave while the incident is under investigation, Finner said.
The officer who was injured is expected to make a full recovery.
This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 9:16 AM with the headline "Good Samaritan pulls injured officer to safety in Texas highway shootout, video shows."
