HEROIC TEENAGER

An excellent blog, PacoVilla's Corrections blog, contained the following post by Bob Walsh, one of Paco's regular contributors:

"Teenager Saves Deputy in Fight in Valley Springs." Since we often hear about bystanders doing nothing or actively interfering with Law Enforcement it is nice to hear about a kid stepping in, at risk to himself. I grant you this was an Explorer Scout on a ride-along and not a casual passer by, but still the kid is 16 and he dove in when three people were trying to kill a cop. That deserves some notice.

The kid deserves much more than some notice. This Explorer Scout should be given the Carnegie Medal which is awarded for extraordinary civilian heroism. I have sent his nomination to the Carnegie Foundation.

The details of this heroic California teen's response to an extremely dangerous situation were reported by Dana Nichols in the Stockton Reord. The report merits nationwide attention and that is why I am reproducing it in my blog. Here is the report:

TEEN RESCUES DEPUTY DURING BRAWL
Assailant had arm on Calaveras lawman's throat

By Dana M. Nichols
Record Staff Writer

April 21, 2009

VALLEY SPRINGS - A 16-year-old Explorer Scout riding along Friday with a Calaveras County sheriff's deputy may have saved the deputy's life during a brawl in Valley Springs, a Sheriff's Department spokesman said Monday.

Sgt. Dave Seawell, a department spokesman, did not identify the teenager but said Deputy Michael Dittman was on the verge of losing consciousness during a Friday night brawl when the Explorer intervened to pull an assailant's forearm off of Dittman's throat.

"I think he probably saved Dittman's life," Seawell said.

According to a written release, Dittman was called about 11:30 p.m. to a disturbance in the 100 block of Daphne Street in Valley Springs. Dittman reported that he arrived to find three men fighting on the front porch of a residence.

The deputy reportedly ordered the men to stop fighting. They ignored the command, and Dittman prepared to use his stun gun, Seawell said in the release.

The release described the events as follows:

Thomas E. Jones, 51, at the time was reportedly trying to restrain his son, Thomas C. Jones, from assaulting Michael Koppi, 22. But when the elder Jones realized the stun gun was pointed at his son, he confronted Dittman.

The deputy warned Thomas E. Jones to get out of the way. At that point, Thomas C. Jones broke free from Koppi and charged at Dittman.

The stun gun malfunctioned, and all three men then assaulted Dittman.

The deputy, realizing his stun gun failed to operate, tried to reholster it.

Thomas E. Jones grabbed the stun gun while Thomas C. Jones punched Dittman in the face. The deputy lost the stun gun to the elder Jones, who tried to turn it on the deputy. He failed to do so when Dittman struck the elder Jones on the arm with his baton.

The deputy said he struck both Joneses with his baton multiple times with little or no effect. The younger Jones wrestled the baton away while the older Jones punched the deputy in the face.

The fight continued, and Dittman and the younger Jones fell to the ground while the older Jones punched the deputy in the face. The younger Jones pushed his forearm into the deputy's throat.

Dittman reported he felt himself on the verge of losing consciousness when the Explorer intervened, pulling the arm away.

Then the elder Jones pushed the Explorer away.

As Dittman tried to get control of the younger Jones, his father tried to choke Dittman.

For a second time, Dittman felt himself on the verge of passing out and reluctantly was finally reaching for his firearm when Deputy Josh Crabtree arrived and successfully stunned Thomas E. Jones with a stun gun. Dittman and the Explorer were then able to handcuff Thomas C. Jones.

The father was booked into Calaveras County Jail on charges of battery on a peace officer, assault on a peace officer with a stun gun, resisting arrest, removing a weapon from a peace officer and public intoxication. His bail was set at $110,000.

His son was jailed on charges of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, battery on a peace officer, resisting arrest, removing a weapon from a peace officer and public intoxication. His bail was set at $125,000.

Koppi was booked into jail on charges of battery on a peace officer, resisting arrest and public intoxication. A 16-year-old girl was also arrested at the scene for public intoxication and resisting or delaying an officer.

Dittman was treated at Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital for multiple cuts and bruises to his head and neck.

The Explorers program is a division of the Boy Scouts of America devoted to exploring careers.

"This is not something we expect our Explorers to do," Seawell said. Combat is not part of the program, he said.