The Arizona concealed-carry permit holder who recently saved a state trooper’s life when he was being attacked on the side of the road said on Tuesday, “I knew I had to help.”
Thomas Yoxall, a former felon whose gun rights were restored after he successfully completed probation, recently spoke about the Jan. 12 encounter for the first time. “To be honest with you, it was very visceral and instinctive,” Yoxall said during a news conference. “I had to help. I knew I had to help. So there wasn't an option for me.” He added: “I firmly believe that that morning I was put there ... by God. It's difficult to think about that day still.”
Also at the news conference, DPS Director Col. Frank Milstead again praised Yoxall for his efforts. “I'm humbled to have met him and to know what he did, because we're having this conversation about a hero and not about an on-duty death,” Milstead said.
