Courageous Civilians Save California Highway Patrol Cop From Dangerous Attack

Three heroic civilians stepped in to save a California Highway Patrol officer who was overpowered during an altercation with a belligerent suspect. The dramatic incident occurred on May 19 in Santa Ana, California, near a freeway on-ramp. 

The troublemaker, who had been disturbing drivers with loud outbursts, was confronted by two officers intending to issue a warning. After one officer departed, the suspect began a physical altercation with the remaining officer, who quickly found himself pinned to the ground.

Everado Navarro, a passerby who witnessed the escalating situation, jumped into action. “I saw the officer struggling, and I knew I had to do something,” Navarro told KCAL.

Navarro said he was unsure of his next move, believing the officer was merely attempting an arrest. As the danger became evident, he stepped in without hesitation. 

Despite punching the guy in the ribs, Navarro’s solo efforts proved strenuous until he was joined by two other brave men who stepped in to help.

“I punched the guy in the ribs but it felt like nothing. He just continued grabbing the officer down. At that moment, my only concern was to avoid the person from grabbing the officer’s gun,” he recalled.

Together, the trio successfully disengaged the suspect from the officer, preventing a potentially tragic outcome. Despite the violent struggle, the officer only got slightly injured in his thumb, while the suspect received facial injuries and was later hospitalized.

Recalling the officer’s gratitude, Navarro said, “He said thank-you at least five, six times. I could sense that he was being very honest from his heart that he knew what type of risk he was going through.”

While the unruly suspect is currently detained at Orange County jail, facing charges of assault and resisting arrest, Anselmo Templado, a CHP spokesperson, expressed admiration for the three men’s courage, highlighting the rarity of such proactive interventions. 

“It’s not very often that you see something like that. Usually, it’s just people recording and standing by. But I just want to thank those three good Samaritans for helping out our officer,” Templado commended while talking to Eyewitness News.