A concealed-carry permit holder who saved a police officer’s life last year was recently awarded the Mount Vernon Citizen’s Award of Valor for taking action when the chips were down.
Last year Cpl. Michael Wheeler of the Mount Vernon (Ohio) Police Department was in a fight for his life. A suspect high on crystal meth had him on his back and was straddling him, reaching for his gun. And in the melee, Wheeler’s radio microphone had been knocked off, so he couldn’t call for help.
That’s when Dylan DeBoard, who was legally carrying a concealed handgun, pulled his firearm on the attacker and forced him to get off Wheeler, who then took him into custody. Wheeler says he is grateful to DeBoard for drawing his gun that day. “I wish a lot more of society would do what he did,” Wheeler said recently. “There were people standing around, but they were just watching. I kept wondering why people didn’t do anything.”
