EVERETT We were just doing our duty, said Arlington resident Wellington Overman. You see something like that happening, you cant just stand around and do nothing.
Overman is a man of few words, but he and two of his coworkers took action to stop an assault and apprehend the suspect while working a job in Everett, which earned them the expressed gratitude of the Everett Police Department May 2.
Overman, Stuart Kranick and Jason Holmes, the latter of whom lives in Arlington Heights, were roofing a gabled house in Everett on Oct. 23 of last year, when Holmes first observed the assault.
Stuart and I heard a woman screaming and Jason yelling, Stop! said Overman, who received a Citizen Commendation from the Everett Police Department. After scrambling down from the roof, I ran across the street to see if I could help the woman, who was already being helped by her mother-in-law.
According to Overman, the suspect was already familiar to the three men, since hed been harassing them while they were working on the roof. The three men began running down each street, searching for the suspect, until Overman offered a more effective suggestion.
I remembered that, when looking for lost persons, theyre generally found near their last known positions, Overman said. So, we went back to the scene of the crime, where we saw one of the police cars driving swiftly through the alley. We followed the car and I think Stuart, Jason and I all saw the fellow at the same time, hiding in a blackberry patch. Stuart and Jason had him covered with their guns when a policeman came and handcuffed him.
Sgt. Robert Goetz, public information officer for the Everett Police Department, explained that the arresting officer nominated the three men for official commendation, deeming their intervention to be literally lifesaving on behalf of the victim.
They selflessly disregarded their own safety to assist this woman, and after theyd helped her, they remained vigilant enough to find, corner and hold the suspect, Goetz said. Given the clear, serious nature of this peril, that says a lot about them. When all is said and done, theyve made this city safer, and were proud to recognize these gentlemen for their invaluable heroic actions.