A good samaritan with a concealed carry license heroically drew his weapon on Friday and saved a cop who was being brutally beaten.
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The incident unfolded in Springville, Utah, when the officer noticed someone’s feet hanging from a donation bin around 2 p.m. That’s when the cop pulled over and asked suspect Paul Douglas Anderson to exit the bin, KSTU-TV reported.
While Anderson reportedly did jump out of the bin, he kept his hands in his pockets despite the officers pleas that he stop doing so.
Then, the suspect allegedly attacked the cop by repeatedly punching him in the face, a violent act that fractured the officer’s eye socket and left him with lacerations on his face. That’s when Derek Meyer happened to be driving by and saw what was happening.
Meyer, who has a concealed-carry permit and a pistol, made a U-turn, stopped, got out of the car, drew his gun and shouted for Anderson to get off of the officer. Anderson immediately complied and fled the scene before other officers arrived to help.
Meyer later explained that he carries a gun for self-protection and to assist in this type of situation.
“I carry a gun to protect me and those around me, but primarily I carry a gun to protect my family first and foremost,” Meyer told KSTU-TV. “Outside of that, if I were to use my gun to protect anyone it would be law enforcement or military personnel.”
The police are showering the good samaritan with accolades, but Meyer said he believes anyone would have stopped and helped the officer. He also said that people don’t hear enough positive stories about “responsible, gun-owning people.”
“[I did it] because of who I am,” Meyer said. “Not to get any extra attention or to have people talk about me or anything I did.”
The officer was hospitalized, but has been released and is recovering.