A person experiencing homelessness helped a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer after the latter was wounded with a pair of scissors in an attack on Thursday.
A man was assaulting a woman in the downtown area and the policeman was responding to a call about the incident, according to police.
When the 19-year-old officer arrived at the scene which was at 13th Street and New York Avenue NW, he was attacked by a suspect, who stabbed him multiple times using a pair of scissors.
A homeless person named John Burrows reportedly intervened in the stabbing to save the policeman, before other officers came and arrested the suspect.
“It does make me feel good to see that a guy who our police officer developed a relationship with was willing to put himself in jeopardy to protect one of our police officers. That’s something we won’t forget. It was very, very kind, very heroic,” Police Chief Peter Newsham said about Burrows, adding that he probably saved the officer’s life.
7.2.20 @ChiefNewsham provides update regarding officer stabbed this morning at 13th Street & New York Avenue, NW https://t.co/zgYQYJnKik
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 2, 2020
The DC officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the head, shoulders and back, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Burrows told NBC Washington that he knew the officer under attack tried to help him.