Bystanders Save Texas Cop

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Why don’t I read about this on the national TV news channels?

LINDEN, Texas, May 20, 2003

Patrick Coughlan holds the gun on the arrestee, who is wrestling on
the ground with officer Sharon Gillespie. (Photo: CBS)

“He meant to shoot her — there’s no doubt in my mind. If it wasn’t
for them, I don’t know what would have happened. I don’t think it
would have turned out very well.”
Alton McWaters
Police Chief, Linden, Texas

The second hero, a woman who didn’t give her name, jumps on the
struggling man, securing him until officer Gillespie can regain
control. (Photo: CBS)

(CBS) Patrick Coughlan is a part-time musician, part-time
songwriter, part-time businessman in Linden, Texas. Even – he says -
a part-time monk

“When I told him to freeze, it was the voice of the Lord,” he told
CBS’ Jim Axelrod.

A Texas-style monk, apparently.

Linden Police Officer Sharon Gillespie was in the process of
arresting Andrew Gray. He was wanted for assault.

“She told him he was under arrest. When she pulled her handcuffs
out, he spun around and grabbed hold of her,” said Linden Police
Chief Alton McWaters.

That’s where Mr. Coughlan comes in. Officer Gillespie and Gray were
wrestling when Gillespie lost control of her gun.

“They wrassled there for a little while and then a man ran up beside
them and grabbed it and took it out of his hand,” said McWaters.

“I didn’t see the gun until I was about 5 feet away. By that time I
was able to speed up and reach in just at the right time to get the
gun. And I pointed it at him and I told him to freeze,” said
Coughlin said.

But the story doesn’t end there – not in this age of video cameras
mounted on police cruiser dashboards. The suspect continued to
wrestle with both Coughlan and Gillespie – until a second do-gooding
bystander hopped in. Literally. She didn’t want her name used, but
she sat on top of the pile until Gray was subdued and Officer
Gillespie could restore order.

“He meant to shoot her — there’s no doubt in my mind. If it wasn’t
for them, I don’t know what would have happened,” McWaters said. “I
don’t think it would have turned out very well.”

But in Linden, Texas that’s not something they have to worry about,
thanks to two bystanders who did get involved — 15 minutes of fame
that may have saved a police officer’s life.