A St. Clair County Sheriff’s Deputy was recently recognized for extreme bravery and for carrying out a successful apprehension to get a dangerous felon into custody.
Deputy Mike Westphal, a nineteen-year veteran, was presented with a St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Department Citation last week for his apprehension of an armed suspect who had multiple felony warrants outstanding.
The incident for which Westphal was recognized occurred in December of 2021. Deputy Westphal set up surveillance and ended up pursuing the subject on foot. The subject pulled a gun on Deputy Westphal, at which point, Westphal requested backup and switched from taser to gun. Westphal continued to pursue the subject on foot and eventually from his patrol vehicle. He was able to apprehend the subject and remove the gun, and eventually place the subject under arrest.
St. Clair County Sherriff Mat King said, “I am very proud of Mike and his decision making in an extremely stressful situation. After reviewing the bodycam footage, I found Mike’s actions to be very brave and professional with a suspect who pointed a handgun at him.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
