Former Rare Staff
On Tuesday night, a police officer’s attempt to help a homeless man could have turned deadly if it weren’t for a good Samaritan with a gun who stepped in to save the day.
Videos by Rare
Sergeant Randy Harkness, 52, arrived at a Georgia Chevron with a homeless man, whom he had given a ride to the gas station and was planning to also give some money to. However, as he tried to give the man a little bit of cash, the man allegedly began to physically assault him and may have even tried to reach for his gun. Luckily, a gun owner was sitting in her car nearby and sprang into action after witnessing the scene.
“She shot off a round. The guy got off the police officer, and she shot another round, and he was running that way I think, there was three shots,” said Aseem Kahn, the owner of the gas station.
Dawson County Sheriff believes man who attacked deputy was trying to take his gun. A witness stopped the attack by shooting the suspect at least once. pic.twitter.com/1qsnrhL1D4
— Carl Willis (@CarlWillisTV) December 5, 2017
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After getting hit by at least one bullet, the homeless man fled across the street to a McDonald’s, where he reportedly punched a senior woman in the face and attempted to steal her car. Several helpful customers quickly subdued him until police arrived.
“They are the heroes, because they kept him from injuring anybody else,” said Sharon Cheek, the shift manager at the McDonald’s.
“It could have been worse, mate, thank you for that lady who was carrying,” Kahn added.
Sheriff Jeff Johnson also applauded the woman as a hero, saying, “I believe she, thankfully, saved this officer’s life.”
Both Harkness and the woman who was injured have been treated and released from the hospital. The homeless man, however, is still recovering and is reportedly facing numerous charges. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Dawson County District Attorney’s Office is currently investigating the matter in order to determine if the woman who shot the suspect should be charged with any crimes.
Dawson Co. Sheriff’s Office: The deputy involved in this afternoon's assault is Sergeant Randy Harkness. Randy is 52 years old and is a 24 year veteran of the S.O. Randy has been treated and released from the hospital. pic.twitter.com/wCyHpAMHT7
— Carl Willis (@CarlWillisTV) December 6, 2017
Witness shoots at man accused of attacking deputy https://t.co/WpBhMSpZJO Live @ 11 pic.twitter.com/nANBnp0qms
— Carl Willis (@CarlWillisTV) December 6, 2017
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