COLUMBUS – Columbus police are publicly thanking a man who stuck out his neck by sticking out his foot to stop an armed man.
On April 3, the man identified only as “Bill” was at the Hilltop branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library with his granddaughter and was waiting outside to leave when he heard sirens, according to posts on the Columbus Division of Police’s social media feeds.
Police say Bill told them he looked around, saw a man with his hand in his waistband running toward him and heard officers yelling multiple times to someone, telling them to “drop the gun.”
Cane in hand Bill stuck out a leg to trip the 18-year-old suspect, likely saved his life as officers are heard on bodycam footage saying how close they were to pulling the triggers on their weapons.
Police caught up to the suspect, arrested him and say they found a Glock 9mm pistol with a high capacity extended clip containing 29 rounds.
No one was injured.
Bill was praised and thanked for his “courage, bravery and/or fancy footwork.”
Bill said he just felt it was his duty as a citizen of Columbus to act.