“We went behind the house, and that’s where I tackled him.”
Lawrence Crowley is a father of 6. By day, he works for Tree Inc., but this weekend, he stepped into a much different role.
“Just adrenaline,” Crowley says, “trying to help out the PD you know?”
He was driving from a family members near Hamilton and 11th Sunday, when he noticed an officer involved in a pursuit. Without a second thought, he stepped in.
“Low and behold a citizen came along and cut off his direction of travel,” Lt. Mike Budreau says.
“I put the truck on the sidewalk,” Crowley says, “to try and slow him down.”
“Not only did the citizen block his path,” Lt. Budreau adds, “but he jumped out of his truck and threw him to the ground for us .”
“I just had him by the back of his head,” Crowley adds, “and his face in the mud pretty much just holding him there.”
Police say that suspect was Kevin Maple, who is now facing charges of attempted assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, interfering with police and criminal mischief. Monday morning, Lt. Mike Budreau called Crowley to thank him.
Police say while it’s always risky for a civilian to step in, they are thankful he got involved.
“We don’t want to see other people risk their safety, but there are some situations where they feel they can intervene and help and that’s what this individual did,” Lt. Budreau says.
Crowley says he’d do it all over again.
“If you ever have the opportunity help them out,” Crowley says.
Maple made his first appearance in court Monday afternoon, where a judge set bail at $25,000 dollars. He is scheduled to be back in court on March 21st.
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