Good Samaritans Come to the Aid of Tampa Police
TAMPA, Florida May 10 2017— A group of Good Samaritans helped two Tampa police officers restrain a man who was resisting arrest, and it was caught on video.
Surveillance video obtained by ABC showed two officers struggling to get a man in handcuffs at a bus station, and the man shoving the two officers to the ground.
That is, until a man comes up and puts the suspect in a bear hug. He also gets help from three other men who saw the incident unfold.
One of the officers told ABC Action News that the suspect tugged at their gun four times and one officer was punched in the face.
The suspect, who was not named, has been arrested several times before this incident, according to ABC Action News.
But shortly after they came to the officer’s aid, one man — a Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) employee — was investigated for his actions by his employers, according to ABC Action News.
Tim Martin, a HART transit supervisor who helped the officers, got a letter from his employers saying he was under investigation and could be disciplined for a “communication gap,” according to ABC Action News.
HART officials told the station, “There was a stretch of time we did not hear from our transit supervisor so I mean we don’t know if his life could’ve been in danger, something could’ve happened, so we needed to know what had happened around that stretch of time.”
The investigation is being closed and no disciplinary action will be taken, according to ABC Action News. Tampa Police, however, are considering giving Martin an award for his efforts.
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Bradenton Herald
