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Iraq War Vet Jumps into Action, Saves Trooper's Life After Seeing Suspect Reach for Gun

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An Iraq War veteran working as a trucker is being hailed as a hero after he put a suspect who was reaching for a state trooper’s gun in a chokehold during a struggle in Wyoming.

According to KSL-TV, Taylorsville, Utah-based Darren Phillips was driving on I-80 near Green River in Wyoming when he saw the violent scrap on the side of the road.

“I could see the two of them wrestling around and fighting and there was nobody else around,” Phillips said.

“I put my brakes on, and I jump out. And by this time, the trooper is on his back and the guy is on top of him.

“The trooper saw me running over, and as soon as I got up to him, he says, ‘He’s going for my gun.'”

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Both the suspect — Dustin Roberts, 36, of McKinleyville, California — and the state trooper had their hands on the trooper’s gun, according to reports.

Phillips had spent 12 years in the Marine Corps — where Fox News notes he was a Black Hawk helicopter chief — and 14 years in the Utah National Guard, so he knew exactly what he had to do.

“I just came around behind him and just reached around and put my arm right there and I held it with my other hand and I stood up and I just went back,” Phillips said.

“And as I came back, he just came back with me and just fell right on top of me.”


“I did two tours in Iraq, and I never had to put a choke hold on anyone,” he added. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done. After he was handcuffed and they were putting him in the patrol car, as he walks by, he’s like ‘nice choke hold.'”

Do you think Darren Phillips saved this officer's life?

The trooper had pulled Roberts over for speeding and the suspect tried to flee after the trooper “became suspicious of additional criminal activity.”

There was a pretty good reason why Roberts was unhappy with being pulled over — he allegedly had over 70 pounds of marijuana and some cocaine in his car.

That’s horrible enough, but apparently he thought this was worth ending a state trooper’s life over. Thankfully, there was a former Blackhawk chief who just happened to come by. The trooper escaped with his life, and just a few minor cuts.

As for Phillips, he played down his heroism, even though he likely saved this trooper’s life.

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“I was just happy to be in the right place at the right time,” Phillips said. “Anything I can do for those guys who put their life on the line every day for us, I’ll do any time.”

These are the men and women who serve our country every day — and we support them wholeheartedly. Our hats are off to Darren Phillips, an American hero.

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C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
Birthplace
Morristown, New Jersey
Education
Catholic University of America
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
American Politics, World Politics, Culture




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