BATON ROUGE, La. (AP/WSVN) — A Louisiana woman is being hailed as a hero after police say she saw an officer struggling with a suspect and jumped on the man’s back to help the officer subdue him.
The Advocate reports 56-year-old Vickie Williams-Tillman was driving to a store Sunday morning, with gospel music on her radio, when she spotted the Baton Rouge officer and the suspect.
Baton Rouge Police spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says the suspect grabbed the officer’s baton and repeatedly bashed him on the head with it, and also tried to grab the officer’s gun.
“I could see in his eyes he needed help,” Williams-Tillman told The Advocate. “You don’t have time to think about it … I did what God needed me to do.”
The department lauded Williams-Tillman for “going above and beyond” to help their officer.
“Ms. Williams-Tillman immediately called for more police but then went so much further. Risking her own safety she jumped out of her vehicle and onto the back of the 28-year old assailant. Ms. Williams-Tillman was able to help hold off the assailant until other officers arrived,” Baton Rouge Police wrote on Facebook.
Police said the officer found the suspect, 28-year-old Thomas Bennett, sleeping in his vehicle with drug paraphernalia in full view. The suspect quickly became aggressive with the officer when told to exit the car.
After Williams-Tillman jumped on the man’s back, police backup arrived and the suspect was apprehended after being shot with a stun gun.
Bennett was arrested and charged with aggravated battery, disarming a police officer, battery on a police officer, resisting an officer with violence, and possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston-Broome called the woman a courageous hero.
“Vickie Williams-Tillman epitomizes the true Good Samaritan,” Weston-Broome said. “She reached out and offered a courageous and unconditional response to the officer. Ms. Williams-Tillman is a hero and demonstrates the true meaning of loving God and loving your neighbor.”
Williams-Tillman said she didn’t think twice about helping the officer. “It was something that went through my soul,” she said. “You don’t think about the risk.”
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