Police Say Two Witnesses Jumped In To Stop Attack On Stillwater Officer

An Oklahoma police officer is attacked while on the job.

He tried to fight off the suspect right on a busy highway but nearly lost his ability to breathe.

Stillwater Police said Officer Shannon Jordan saw 20-year-old Samuel Viol acting erratically. Then things turned dangerous, but two men are credited with potentially saving Jordan's life.

911 caller: “I'm at the new Wal-Mart, and he just walked by my car like screaming kind of, and then when he got in front of the Sonic, he took his shoes off.”

6/3/15 Related Story: Citizens Help Stillwater Officer Subdue Drugged-Out Suspect During Arrest

Viol walked eastbound toward town yelling at traffic, taking off his clothes, waving his arms, and at times lunging at passing cars, drivers called police.

911 caller: “There's a young kid who looks very high, just about passed out on the ground. I think he's on drugs. I don't want him to get hit by a car.”

“Traffic was all backed up on both sides of the street,” said witness, Blake Munoz.

Officer Shannon Jordan found Viol at the corner of 6th and Innovation Way.

“And the guy just immediately charged him,” said Capt. Kyle Gibbs, Stillwater PD spokesperson. “No words were exchanged.”

Capt. Gibbs said as Officer Jordan was parking his motorcycle, Viol tried to push him off, then ran onto the highway median ignoring commands to stop and get on the ground.

Jordan went after him, and that's when News 9 was told things took a turn.

“Kind of takes a bladed stance, like a fighting stance, so the officer used his taser to try and control him,” said Gibbs.

But the taser didn't work, and a struggle in the middle of the highway began.

At some point, Gibbs said the neck strap on Officer Jordan's helmet started to restrain his breathing.

But two men jumped in to save him.

“One grabbed the head, one grabbed the legs, and they helped restrain him until they got him cuffed,” said Gibbs. “Very likely saved somebody's life in that situation.”

Police said an ambulance was called to the scene to evaluate Viol for symptoms of drug intoxication.

After his evaluation, he was taken to jail on complaints of assault and battery on a police officer (a felony) as well as public intoxication.