Father, son disarm suspect grappling with officer, police say
Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure recognized Otto and Anderson Ortiz for their bravery in helping an officer in distress.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - The Gwinnett County Police Department expressed gratitude toward a family for springing into action to help an officer grappling with an allegedly armed suspect.
No one was seriously injured and the incident led to a suspect being charged with multiple felonies. He's in Gwinnett County Detention Center roughly three months after the altercation.
Police said a Gwinnett County officer was trying to arrest an armed robbery suspect on July 25 in Duluth when the suspect became violent. The person allegedly "badly" beat up a clerk at a business on Satellite Boulevard. The clerk and security video helped officers gather a description of the suspect, 38-year-old Derrick Sutton, who was nearby.
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Police said the officer noticed Sutton was armed while trying to restrain him. The officer couldn't call in help because his radio was damaged, police said.
Police said Otto and Anderson Ortiz said their dog began barking inside their home when the officer was attacked. They ran over to help and Otto Ortiz took the gun away from Sutton, police said.
Ortiz's wife, Glenda Guerra, flagged down other officers on the street, according to police. They finally arrested Sutton.
Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure recognized Otto and Anderson Ortiz for their bravery during an award ceremony.
"Chief McClure and all the members of the Gwinnett Police Department feel deep gratitude towards the Ortiz family for their bravery and assistance," a statement from Gwinnett County Police Department said. "Without their help, the outcome of the incident may have been very different."
Sutton faces a list of charges:
- Felony Obstruction of Law Enforcement
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
- Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm
- Kidnapping
- Aggravated Assault
- Armed Robbery