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After calling WBRZ, money raised for good Samaritan who helped police officer

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DENHAM SPRINGS - The city of Denham Springs is trying to raise money for a man who broke an ankle while helping a police officer in need.

While attending a birthday party at a Denham Springs hotel Gordon Simoneaux noticed a man inside a car who appeared intoxicated. A Denham Springs Police officer was already on site and approached the man inside the car, Jerrell Sheets.

Sheets eventually took off running, and that's when Simoneaux stepped in to tackle Sheets to the ground. Simoneaux and the officer wrestled with Sheets to attempt to put him in handcuffs. However, Sheets then reached for the officer's gun.

"I get a chill just talking to you about it. It just flowed, and I was thinking about the kids. If he gets that gun there's no telling what he's going to do to that officer, me for getting involved and these kids are spitting distance from us," said Simoneaux.

Along with the help of another good Samaritan, Simoneaux and the officer were able to get Sheets into handcuffs. During the skirmish Simoneaux broke his right ankle requiring a plate and seven screws to fix.

"Every cop came up to me, hit me on the shoulder and said 'good job...you're a hero.' I said 'no, I'm Gordon. I'm not a hero.' I'd do it again even If I knew I would break the other ankle. I would do it again, because I was thinking of the kids," said Simoneaux.

Simoneaux has already lost his trucking job after being bed-ridden for five weeks with another six weeks to go. Without being able to work the accumulating medical bills won't go away anytime soon.

"These days they tell me you can pay a little bit, little bit and a little bit," he said. "That's probably what I'll have to do, but as far as paying them off, it's going to be high. It's going to be pretty expensive."

The city of Denham Springs stepped up to help Simoneaux after WBRZ News 2 made a call to Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry. Within one day the city raised $500 from Friends of Denham Springs Police and $500 from Arceneaux Pest Management. The city is also working to get help from United Way and other organizations.

"Just to everybody that's helping me, words alone can't explain how grateful I am for what they're doing for me," said Simoneaux. "I just hope something good can come out of this."

There's also an account at Capital One Bank in Gordon Simoneaux's name to raise money along with a GoFundMe page found here.

Sheets was booked into Livingston Parish jail with six felony counts for attempting to disarm a peace officer, resisting an officer with force and four separate drug possession charges. Sheets was also charged with three misdemeanor counts for disturbing the peace, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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