Police in Plymouth, Massachusetts say the quick and decisive actions of three men saved a woman from a violent domestic altercation and potential kidnapping Friday, WBZ News reports.
The suspect, the woman’s 39-year-old estranged husband, reportedly showed up at her residence wearing a mask, toting handcuffs and brandishing what looked like two guns before allegedly grabbing her by the neck and trying to drag her away, WATD reports.
The woman, who was holding her baby at the time, was able to scream, Plymouth Police Captain Jason Higgins said. “And that got the attention of three people nearby.”
One of those who heard the cries for help was Jamie Costa, a lifelong Plymouth resident and former Corrections Officer, who yelled at the man to leave the woman alone before taking the suspect out with what police say was “a good old-fashioned football tackle.” (RELATED: Kids At Maryland Bus Stop Thwart Alleged Kidnapping Attempt)
Plymouth Police praise good Samaritans for saving woman from attempted kidnapping @KristinaRex reportshttps://t.co/9yAgn527JD
— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) June 3, 2023
Two brothers working nearby, Jeffrey and David Williams, also rushed in to help. One of the brothers pulled his reportedly licensed handgun out while the other helped Costa disarm the man and hold him down until police arrived.
Costa says he made it clear to the suspect that one of the brothers had a gun and “if he wasn’t going to cooperate that it was going to get ugly.”
“We feel that these men probably saved this woman’s life,” Captain Higgins said. Higgins added this wasn’t the first time Costa had taken out a bad guy. “He actually tackled a violent felon for us [in 2019], so this guy is just in the right place at the right time helping people out. We said we want to give him a job,” Higgins joked.
Although Plymouth police plan to honor the men for their good deed, Costa doesn’t consider himself a hero. “As a man it’s kind of your responsibility, I guess is how I was taught to help out, so I just helped out,” he told WBZ.
The suspect is being held without bail on charges of violating a restraining order, assault and battery on a family member, kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon and reckless endangerment of a child.
The woman was not hurt in the incident.