Dramatic video reveals a Chick-fil-A worker tackling a person who allegedly tried to carjack a girl with a child. The suspect, recognized as William Department, was arrested by authorities in Fort Walton Seaside, Florida.
Department is going through fees of battery and carjacking with a weapon, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Workplace mentioned on Wednesday.
Armed with a stick, Department allegedly approached a girl within the car parking zone exterior of Chick-fil-A as she was getting a child out of the automotive. He then demanded her keys, grabbed them from her waistband and tried to take the automotive, the sheriff's workplace mentioned.
The Chick-fil-A worker, recognized by the restaurant as Mykel Gordon, intervened after listening to the girl screaming. A part of the video of the encounter reveals Gordon wrestling Department to the bottom and pinning him till extra folks present as much as assist.
At one level, Department punched Gordon within the face, however he was not significantly injured, the sheriff's workplace mentioned.
Within the clip, a girl who witnessed the incident unfold is heard calling out the tried carjacker.
"She had a child in her arms," she says. "She had a child in her arms! How dare you!"
Deputies mentioned Department was concerned in one other incident shortly earlier than the carjacking try.
The native Chick-fil-A's Fb web page recognized the quick-thinking worker and known as him a "HERO."
"That is Mykel Gordon! At Chick-fil-A our mission is to 'Serve' and right now Mykel took it additional……to 'Save,'" the put up mentioned.
Gordon has labored on the Chick-fil-A for the final 14 years. Matthew Sexton, the restaurant's operator, praised Gordon in a press release to CBS Information on Thursday.
"We're so relieved that our Company and Staff Members are protected following this alarming incident," Sexton mentioned. "I am grateful for my superb Staff Member, Mykel Gordon, who so selflessly jumped in to intervene and assist our Company. I could not be prouder of his unbelievable act of care."
Authorities additionally lauded the younger man.
"A serious shout-out to this younger man for his braveness!" the sheriff's workplace tweeted.
The sheriff's workplace wrote on its Fb web page that it expects Gordon will obtain some kind of award for his actions.