A dramatic video shared on social media shows the moment a Texas man jumped into action to save a police officer who had been shot in the leg.
In an interview with NBC affiliate KPRC, the good Samaritan, John Lally, said he was driving on U.S.59 when he got caught in the middle of a police chase and shooting in Houston on Saturday.
"I saw he got shot," Lally told KPRC. "And I knew he got shot because he buckled to the ground... my mission at that point was just to get to him."
The video shared by Lally shows him running toward Officer John Gibson, 29, and dragging him to safety.
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“I said I want to let you know you’re going to be OK, the officer already put a tourniquet on your leg,” Lally told Gibson. “I know when you’re going through that type of pain, just somebody talking to you and being there with you and just holding your hand is probably going to take your mind off a lot of that stuff.”
Houston police said the shooting started after officers unsuccessfully tried to pull over a man who was driving a stolen car.
The man led police on a high-speed chase until he crashed into several vehicles and began shooting at officers.
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Lally told KPRC the shooting lasted around 10 minutes before the suspect tried to get into a second car. The suspect was then shot multiple times and died from his injuries at the scene, police said.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Lally "has had trouble with law enforcement in his life," KTRK reported.
But at a news conference, Finner praised him for his actions.
“People make mistakes. But a truly reformed individual is a person that we can use. And he stepped up and other citizens stepped up and I don’t want that to get lost. It’ll be a time that we’ll acknowledge him formally,” Finner said.
Officer Gibson is expected to make a full recovery, police said.
