Two brothers saved a police officer in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday as he tried to restrain a suspect during a traffic stop.
William and Luis Mendez-Guzman said they immediately stepped in when they saw the man kick the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officer in the head as he tried to hold him down on the pavement, according to News 4 San Antonio.
“We took off running, tried holding the young man down. The officer barely had a hold on one of his feet,” William recalled of the incident that occurred at Loop 410 and Babcock Rd.
As they approached, Luis said he observed the suspect reach for the policeman’s firearm.
“The man was reaching and swinging for the officers gun. He seemed at a loss; that’s when he started screaming for help,” he commented.
The two brothers then ran to the policeman’s side while another family member filmed the altercation.
“They had to hold him down. The guy kept screaming that he had HIV, trying to bite them so maybe they’d let go, but they didn’t,” said Jasmine Mondragon.
In the video, the brothers grabbed hold of the man’s arms as he shook violently, trying to escape. A few minutes later, backup arrived and took the suspect into custody.
The officer then expressed his thanks to the family for helping him in such a tense situation.
“At the time, we helped both men,” William told reporters in Spanish.
“I think we reacted appropriately because the officer was being kicked in the head, and once we stepped in the officer was getting ready to tase him, but we said we had him under control. We helped both of them.”
The brothers said their family was proud of their actions and added that they would never hesitate to assist an officer in need.