A witness is speaking out about the moment he helped a CHP officer that was in a scuffle with a man. Christian Cazares reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on Tuesday May 23, 2023.
A man who helped a California Highway Patrol officer struggling with a man on a freeway overpass said he was just following his instincts when he stopped to help the officer.
It wasn't until after the encounter and the adrenaline left his body that Everardo Navarro said he was able to comprehend what happened.
Navarro was driving Friday afternoon in Santa Ana when he noticed the CHP officer and a man in a scuffle on the ground near Main Street and Santa Clara Avenue. Part of the fight was captured on camera in video that's now part of the CHP investigation.
"When I approached the officer and the guy from the back, I punched the guy in the ribs, but it didn't help," Navarro said. "I was afraid of the officer's life because the man could've grabbed his gun and shoot the officer. I just grabbed his hand."
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The fight broke out after the officer responded to a call about a person near the Main Street freeway ramp on the 5 Freeway who was yelling at drivers and trying to remove a freeway sign. Details about what led to the fight were not immediately availalble.
The man was arrested after Navarro and other witnesses jumped into to help the officer, who was not seriously injured. The man's identity was not available.
