Civilian Honored for Assisting EPD in Difficult Arrest

EPD honoring civilian

Chief Andrew Mills to the left of two EPD officers flanking Tom Sanders.

Last night at the Eureka City Council, Eureka Police honored a civilian, Tom Sanders, for his assistance of two officers when a suspect was resisting arrest. Yesterday,  Captain Steve Watson explained, “Tom saw two of our officers, exhausted, desperately struggling with a violently resisting drugged up man & rushed to help them subdue him.”

According to the EPD,

On the morning of April 14, 2017, Officer Greg Hill and Sergeant Ed Wilson were dispatched to the 200 block of ‘Q’ Street on the report of a male subject who appeared to be siphoning gas from a vehicle belonging to the reporting party’s neighbor. When the officers attempted to detain the male, who was not being truthful about his identity, he refused to comply with their commands and started resisting. The male began physically fighting with them. At one point, the suspect tried to grab Officer Hill’s baton. Multiple defensive tactics techniques were used to try to gain control of the suspect; however, he continued to fight and resist. After an approximately 2 ½ minute struggle with the suspect, during which time the officers were becoming exhausted, a nearby neighbor, Tom Sanders, came to their aid. Tom assisted by pulling the suspect’s left arm out from underneath him and placing it behind his back so the officers could handcuff him. During the struggle, Tom even received some residual shock from a Taser yet still maintained his grasp on the suspect.

Officer Hill had this to say about Tom’s actions: “I commend Tom Sanders for his assistance in detaining the suspect. At the point when Tom stepped in to assist us, Sergeant Wilson and I were beyond exhausted, and if not for Tom’s assistance, there is no telling how much longer the suspect would have continued to fight us.”

Sanders received the EPD’s Valor-Service Challenge Coin Award. “We’ve only handed out a few of these awards since the program’s inception. It’s a rare and well-deserved honor for which Tom was nominated by the officers whom he helped,” Captain Watson explained.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

15 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Festus Haggen
Guest
Festus Haggen
6 years ago

Time to head to the gym. Need to increase endurance. Too many donuts?

stupid
Guest
stupid
6 years ago
Reply to  Festus Haggen

Know how I know you’ve never been in a fight much less with someone that’s tweaked out?
When you’ve got all the muscles in your body exerted at 110% for 3 minutes straight you get winded as hell even if you’re in decent shape.

Me
Guest
Me
6 years ago

Um…no. I suggest you try and fight with someone who is likely on some sort of drug, and who doesn’t want three hots and a cot.
Thank you, Mr. Sanders, for helping our overwhelmed police officers and their battle against the dirtbags of society, EVERYDAY!

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
Muddy Black Dodge
6 years ago

Bet you couldn’t have lasted half as long Festus Haggen. Next time you have a thought…. Let it go, don’t type ignorant b.s. on this comment section. Makes you look like an idiot. Try this, post something positive. Donut jokes aren’t as funny as you think.

Gypsy Rose
Guest
Gypsy Rose
6 years ago

Good for you young men. You deserve a metal also. Thank you also Tom Sanders. Your a guardian angel.
Also thank you Muddy Black Dodge for your beautiful Post. It made my day.

shak
Guest
shak
6 years ago

Way to go Mr. Sanders! We need more every day heroes like you.

penny
Guest
penny
6 years ago

Thank you Mr. Sanders you are a hero!!

Scott W Binder
Guest
Scott W Binder
6 years ago

Good job, Tom!

shawn the fisherman
Guest
shawn the fisherman
6 years ago

If Tom had been injured in helping those officers they would have hung Tom out to dry so fast ur head would spin. They would say it was Toms fault for getting involved. So protect ur own interest and stay out of police business.

Me
Guest
Me
6 years ago

wow. hope you never have to make any decisions like he did. i would hate to see you stand idly by while the cops need help, because sometimes they do. especially with people these days that have no respect for the badge.

guest
Guest
guest
6 years ago

Nice job Tom! Giving Mr. Sanders an award is a nice gesture. Since he is a senior and times are hard, a hand full of Giants game tickets for his family would have been greatly appreciated, I’m sure! We need more upstanding citizens in Humboldt county like Tom.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
6 years ago

Shouldn’t this be considered interfering with police business?

Tom's first son
Guest
Tom's first son
6 years ago

Good job Dad. Makin me proud…Still

J
Guest
J
6 years ago

That’s cute!! Way to go Tom, your Epic!!

Killapotomus
Guest
Killapotomus
6 years ago

They need civilians help because the cops are untrained and incapable . Interesting how some people who help the cops get praise , and others get ignored completely . Cops are just people , and some of them are shit . Not all of them