Two Saint John police officers have received gold commendations for their outstanding work and bravery.
On June 9th 2016, Sgt. Steve Wilson and Cst. David MacDonald were able to talk a person down, and safely remove a firearm without anyone getting injured.
Wilson says a call came in regarding two males and two females fighting near Prince William Street, and the intersection of St. James.
He says soon after that is when he found out there was a firearm involved.
Wilson says he brought his service handgun and used verbal commands to try and get the male to disarm.
He says he could also hear Cst. MacDonald doing the same thing, but couldn’t see him because it was dark.
The street was cleared and additional units were called, and Wilson says he was “very proud of the team’s quick response”.
Every available police car in the city responded to the incident.
Wilson says eventually the male placed the firearm down and he and MacDonald were able to take him into custody.
MacDonald says he never had a firearm pointed at him before and calls it a “challenging situation”.
He says you have to rely on your training and assess the situation to determine the appropriate response.
Chief John Bates says in this instance the officers were in serious position of facing death or bodily harm, and says they conducted themselves in a manner that is very deserving of the recognition.
Saint John Board of Commissioners Gold Commendation awards presented to Sgt. Wilson & Cst. Macdonald @saintjohnpolice @ChiefBates pic.twitter.com/rmphOLZatL
— SJ Police Assoc (@sjpoliceassoc) November 1, 2016
