WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Two good Samaritans are being credited for saving the life of a man in a wheelchair who was stabbed multiple times at a Westerville hotel earlier this month.
On Aug. 3, Westerville police say 44-year-old Forest Justice went into the man's room at a Red Roof Inn and started stabbing him for no reason.
"I heard screaming and I came out and I said, 'What the hell is going on?' I look over and he is stabbing him," said one of the good Samaritans.
When police arrived at the hotel, they found two men holding the suspect down. They said Justice went into the man's room and started stabbing him. That's when the two good Samaritans jumped in.
“I tackled him as hard as I could. I like, hit him like a football tackle and dropped my head into him,” said the other good Samaritan, who could be heard on an officer's body-worn camera video.
“From what we have been able to tell with the investigation, they met each other the night before and they were just random acquaintances at the hotel. From everything we can tell at this point, this was truly a random attack that occurred,” said Westerville Police Lt. Justin Alloway.
Westerville police recovered two knives from the scene.
The victim was stabbed multiple times, including in the back of his head.
“This was a severe attack. If it were not for the effort of the bystanders who were involved and officers quick-action to apply tourniquets to the wounds, I have no doubt in my mind that this would have been a fatal incident,” Alloway said. "They are the true heroes in this incident."
Justice was taken into custody and has been charged with attempted murder and felonious assault.
Alloway says he is thankful for the way the good Samaritans jumped in to help.
“We get paid to take these risks and they don't. They put their lives on the line for the safety of someone else in the community. That's what true neighbor relations are supposed to be like,” Alloway said.