SPRINGVILLE, Utah — A man is in custody after assaulting a Springville police officer Friday afternoon, and a good Samaritan with a concealed firearm helped end the attack.
Just before 2 p.m., an officer spotted a pair of feet dangling from a Tabitha’s Way donation bin along Main Street in Springville. He pulled over and asked the person to get out of the bin.
That person was Paul Douglas Anderson. Anderson eventually got out of the bin, leaving clothes and shoes on the ground, but he kept his hands in his pockets.
Springville Police said that officer asked Anderson multiple times to remove his hands from his pockets, for fear he had a weapon. When Anderson finally removed his hands, he used them to punch the officer in the face.
Police said he kept punching repeatedly until a passerby stopped to help.
Derek Meyer said he was driving north on Main Street when he spotted the police lights. He said when he looked over he saw Anderson punching the police officer.
Surprised at what he was seeing, Meyer said he made a U-turn and pulled up behind the police car, intending to help.
Meyer has a pistol and concealed-carry permit. He said he trains regularly and has thought before about times in which he would need to use his weapon.
“I carry a gun to protect me and those around me, but primarily I carry a gun to protect my family first and foremost,” Meyer said. “Outside of that, if I were to use my gun to protect anyone it would be law enforcement or military personnel.”
He told Fox 13 he got out of his car, drew his weapon and pointed it at Anderson, yelling at him to get off the officer and stop assaulting him.
Meyer said when Anderson saw the gun, he stopped and ran off. Immediately, other officers responded to the scene and Meyer put his weapon away.
Read the full story here: Fox13Now.com.
Written by LAUREN HANDLEY, Fox13Now.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright 2018, KSTU. A Tribune broadcasting station
“Good Samaritan” and “concealed carry” in the same sentence……
Enough said.
Derek Meyer should be proud of his intervention, before the officer was injured further by this deadbeat guy.
For those bleeding hearts always ready to call the ACLU, the officer showed restraint, and was rewarded with a beating by a deadbeat. Is it any wonder why LEOs take on a surly demeanor when faced with a suspicious person, who is not following simple commands.
If this was in California, what would be the chances of an armed citizen being available to come to the defense of an officer???
Utah has 12.6 gun deaths per 100,000 population and California has 7.9. If you can do math then this should answer your question.
Source that please.
https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/firearms-death-rate-per-100000/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D
“Causes of death attributable to firearm mortality include ICD-10 Codes W32-W34, Accidental discharge of firearm; Codes X72-X74, Intentional self-harm by firearm; X93-X95, Assault by firearm; Y22-Y24, Firearm discharge, undetermined intent; and Y35.0, Legal intervention involving firearm discharge. ” Just gonna leave this here…
Actually, that comment didn’t answer the question. The CDC has lots of info, but that wasn’t the question.
The chances of a citizen in Cali coming to the defense of a Police Officer is 0.01 %. That’s not how they roll in Cali.
That’s a better answer.
jh900, with the much stricter gun control laws in Cali, that is a piss poor number. Nothing to brag about.
Many of us are not stupidly willing to give up our freedoms. Work on the dummies that believe in nothing, are generally ignorant, and have no respect for any law or others. Most of them, when they vote vote Democrat. Including the KKK and non-citizen terrorists.
I’ll take my chances with a nation that respects the rights of individuals, not collective group think society.
I applaud Mr. Meyer and his handling of the matter. Well done!
Good job Mr. Meyer, good job!
So, using the argument of “Utah has 12.6 gun deaths per 100,000 population and California has 7.9”, why does California have ANY?
I appreciate the opportunity to read an article that shows the positive side of gun ownership.
And hats off to the “good Samaritan” who saw something and turned around. I would hope there are many good Samaritans everywhere.
Son of a retired LEO here. Thank you, Derek Meyer, for coming to the aid of a HERO who found himself in a perilous situation. You’re a true Patriot.
I usually pack a 9mm full size in the glove box. I’m not a huge fan of carrying pocket guns. I’d like to think I’d do the same as this dude, but I have no direct experience w/ a high pressure situation like this, so I can’t for sure know how I’d handle it.
Job well done Derek. Gun control works, he used both hands.