Tow Truck Driver Helps Stabbed Police Officer Make Arrest

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Feb 24, 2019

A tow truck driver in California was driving by a routine traffic stop when he noticed something didn’t seem right.

Christian Melendrez was driving in his tow truck down I-5, when he saw an officer had pulled over a car. Thankfully, he was keeping an eye on the situation as he drove by. Melendrez saw two bodies on the ground and knew he had to pull over and help.

“Think about it, I’m 70 mph when I passed by. It was quick. I saw two bodies on the ground wrestling and I thought, ‘Oh, shoot, it’s probably the officer,” Melendrez said according to WQAD.

Patrol Officer Philip Martinson was in the process of pulling over a 25 year-old woman named Haile Neil who was inebriated, going over 100mph on the interstate. After being pulled over, their encounter turned violent. In the midst of Officer Martinson performing the DUI inspection, Neil attempted to run away, but not before stabbing Officer Martinson in the back.

Melendrez arrived just in the nick of time. Seeing the two fighting, he ran over to help the officer. Melendrez was able to get Neil in handcuffs with the help of Officer Martinson.

“First time I ever put handcuffs on anybody. So, that worked out pretty well. I was like, ‘How do I put this on?’ And he was like, ‘Just swing it on.’ So I swung it on there and it worked,” Melendrez explained.

Melendrez explained his reasoning in stopping to check out the situation, “I wanted to help. That’s what I do all the time with everybody and anybody.”

The encounter has encouraged Melendrez to eventually leave his job in the tow trucking business and pursue a career in law enforcement.

“Like I said, I would go and help again. My first instinct is to help people.”