Body camera footage caught a man risking his life Saturday morning to protect a police officer during a highway shootout in Houston, Texas.
Officers spotted a vehicle on the Southwest Freeway that was allegedly stolen in a carjacking incident, according to Houston Police Department (HPD). The suspect allegedly attempted to flee, causing officers to pursue the vehicle. A car chase began on the highway and ended once the suspect allegedly crashed into other vehicles, police said.
The suspect got out of the vehicle and allegedly shot one of the officers, according to police. He allegedly attempted to carjack two more vehicles at the scene.
The suspect allegedly shot the 20-year-old police officer in the leg, according to HPD Chief Troy Finner. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. The suspect was also shot and died at the hospital, per police. (RELATED: Milwaukee Police Officer And Suspect Shot And Killed In Confrontation).
The officer was shot following a brief vehicle pursuit at 59 and Chimney Rock. The suspect has also been shot and is an unknown condition. More information will follow.
Avoid the area of 59 and Chimney Rock. #hounews
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) November 11, 2023
Finner credited a good Samaritan who pulled the injured officer to safety in the press briefing. John Lally, the samaritan, was wearing a body camera that captured the incident, according to ABC 13. The video captures the sound of bullets flying as Lally drags the officer across the ground, placing him behind a truck.
“I just kinda ran over there, and I grabbed that guy with the other police officer. Me and him, together, we grabbed him by his vest so he wouldn’t get shot again,” Lally told the outlet. He said he felt he was in the right place at the right time.
He stayed with the officer until paramedics arrived, the outlet noted.
Lally can be heard comforting the officer in the video. “It’s just your leg. It’s just your leg. You hear me? Just squeeze my hand as tight as you have to. Do you know what I’m saying? Don’t worry. I’m here with you.”
“[Lally] has had trouble with law enforcement in his life, but today, he and a few other citizens, along with our officers, when that officer went down, they pulled him to safety,” Chief Finner said in the press conference. “I want to celebrate that.”
The injured officer was put on administrative leave, per department policy, according to the news conference.