Most of the time, police save civilians. But sometimes—ever so rarely—it's the other way around:
(warning: very graphic)
The events that led to the shooting began about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, when [Yuhao] Du of San Diego crashed his vehicle on eastbound I-8 near the I-805 overpass, according to the [California Highway Patrol].
A short time later, CHP Officer Antonio "Tony" Pacheco pulled over alongside the freeway at the site of the wreck and contacted Du, who was standing in the center-median area, CHP spokesman Jake Sanchez said.
As Pacheco was speaking with him, Du allegedly attacked him without warning, "lunging for his service gun" and "trying to take control of it," Sanchez said.
The gun was discharged, striking the officer in the thigh. That's a serious place to be shot; if it hits your femoral artery, you could be dead in a few minutes.
Luckily some nearby heroes swung into action:
"The struggle continued, at which point several passing motorists stopped to assist the injured officer by providing medical aid and restraining Du until additional law enforcement personnel arrived," Sanchez said.
Paramedics took Pacheco to Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he was admitted in stable condition.
Good news, too: Pacheco has a wife and two kids with another on the way. As the highway patrol chief noted:
"This incident could have ended in a greater tragedy had those individuals not intervened."
It could have but they did and so it didn't. Well done everyone!
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