John Lally is a former ex-con from Houston, Texas, who is being called a hero for his actions pulling a wounded police officer to safety during a freeway shootout captured on video.
Lally is a “former criminal who became a hero” when he was driving on the Southwest freeway around 10 a.m. on November 11, 2023, and he “found himself in the middle of a shooting between a carjacking suspect and multiple Houston police officers,” ABC 13 reported.
Lally recorded a video which shows him pulling an injured police officer to safety with another officer. You can watch the video below, but be aware that it’s disturbing because it shows the officer in distress.
Houston police “are investigating the shooting incident in which a suspect was fatally shot and an HPD officer was injured at 5201 Southwest Freeway (South Interstate U.S. Highway 59) about 10:10 a.m. on Saturday (November 11),” Houston police wrote in a news release.
According to police, “The wounded officer, Officer J. Gibson, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center in stable condition where he remains hospitalized. He did not discharge his duty weapon.”
Here’s what you need to know:
The Houston Police Chief Praised John Lally, Saying He ‘Stepped Up’
A 19-year-old was fatally wounded in an exchange of gunfire with police on US-59 near Chimney Rock. During the incident, John Lally, a former offender, played a crucial role by aiding a 29-year-old police officer, John Gibson, to a safer location.
Houston police chief Troy Finner praised Lally and told KHOU-TV of Lally, “A truly reformed individual is a person that we can use. He stepped up.”
“(The good Samaritan) has had trouble with law enforcement in his life, but (Saturday), he and a few other citizens, along with our officers, when that officer went down, they pulled him to safety,” Finner said, according to ABC 13. “I want to celebrate that. ”
“It’s just your leg. It’s just your leg, you hear me? Just squeeze my hand as tight as you have to. Do you know what I’m saying? Don’t worry, I’m here with you,'” Lally told the wounded officer in the video.
Lally told KHOU that he recorded the moment he saved the officer because he was on his way to work and was worried his employer wouldn’t believe him.
“I saw that one cop get shot and I’ve been shot before in the same leg and it made me know what he was going through,” Lally said to the television station. “I just seen somebody needed help and I ran over there.”
KHOU reported that the police chief called Lally, who has had previous run-ins with the law, to thank him. “This is somebody’s life, so at the end of the day, I think we should all do anything and everything that we can to help people,” Lally told the station. “11/11 is the Angel’s number, but it also represents new beginnings.”
Houston Police Say the Shootout Stemmed After a Suspect Driving a Stolen Vehicle Fled From Police
Westside Patrol Division officers “identified a stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop,” police wrote. “The suspect then fled from officers at a high rate of speed until he struck multiple vehicles, rendering the stolen vehicle inoperable in the main lanes of the freeway at the above address.”
Officer Gibson “gave verbal commands to the suspect, who was still inside the stolen vehicle, when the suspect began discharging a firearm at Officer Gibson. Officer Gibson was struck and a citizen and another officer pulled him to a position of cover. The rescuing officer provided medical aid,” the release says.
As more HPD patrol vehicles arrived, “the suspect exited the stolen vehicle and attempted to enter another vehicle. Other uniformed officers attempted to give the suspect verbal commands to drop his weapon, but the suspect did not comply. As the suspect exited the second vehicle, officers discharged their weapons at the suspect,” the release says. T
“The suspect then ran to another vehicle but appeared to be injured and fell to the ground. The suspect disregarded all verbal commands from the officers and reloaded another magazine into his firearm. Officers discharged their weapons at him, striking him more than one time,” Houston police wrote.
“When safe, officers approached the suspect and safely detained him before giving him medical aid. The suspect was transported by the Houston Fire Department paramedics to Ben Taub General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” police wrote.
“The identity of the deceased suspect, 19, is pending notification to family members by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences,” police wrote.
Five other officers “who discharged their duty weapons were not injured,” the police news release states. “All officers are assigned to the Westside Patrol Division. Officers J. Gibson, D. Gengler and A. Martinez were all sworn in as officers in March 2019, J. Perez in January 2017, B. Stephens in May 2019 and S. Trujillo in March 2021.”
READ NEXT: Matt Petgrave, Hockey Player Whose Skate Fatally Injured Another Player