'A life-saving decision': Men who stopped RPD Officer Denny Wright's attacker honored
Will ClevelandWhen Rochester Police Officer Dennison "Denny" Wright responded to 37 Peck St. on Oct. 4, he nearly lost his life. But three strangers came to his rescue, putting themselves between Wright and his alleged attacker.
Those three good Samaritans — Lydell Weatherspoon, Matt Ochs and Ramique Hill — were publicly lauded for the first time Tuesday night at Rochester City Hall. Mayor Lovely Warren, Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary and the Rochester City Council recognized the three men with proclamations.
They unquestionably helped save Wright's life, Warren and Singletary said.
“You saw someone in need, you heard someone in need,” Warren said. “You ran in and stepped up. We know that Officer Wright is possibly here today because of the work that you all did. We want to tell you that we truly appreciate you.”
Wright, a 23-year veteran of RPD, was punched and stabbed repeatedly in the face, left eye, and lower body, "causing serious physical injuries which were deemed to be life-threatening." according to court documents.
Wright didn't attend the ceremony.
Keith Williams, 28, of Rochester was charged in the attack. He was indicted by a grand jury on felony charges of attempted aggravated murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault of a police officer and first-degree assault.
Williams allegedly was hiding under a bed and when Wright arrived got up and tried to run out, police said. Wright was attacked as he tried to stop Williams.
The three men were given plaques and proclamations from Singletary, Warren, and City Council President Loretta Scott. They were received with a rousing standing ovation from those gathered in the City Council chambers.
Each delivered brief comments after accepting the honors. They spoke for less than a minute each and were clearly humbled by the recognition.
Hill said he lives by a simple philosophy. "Be the change you want to see in the world and sometimes that involves putting yourself at risk as all the RPD officers do every day."
Ochs said he was simply "in the right place at the right time. I thank the Lord for the courage and the action He instilled in the three of us to enter a situation that could've been much worse. I very much admire the tenacity of Officer Wright."
Weatherspoon, who lives in a neighboring Peck Street home, heard calls for help from Wright and two women in the house. "He chose not to run away from a situation that appeared dangerous," Warren said.
Weatherspoon called 911 and entered the house. He said he tried to calm down Williams, the alleged attacker.
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Ochs, meanwhile, was remodeling a nearby Peck Street home and saw Wright enter the home. The two women who exited the house requested help. Ochs ran into the home and saw Wright was seriously wounded from the knife attack. Wright instructed Ochs to hold down the attacker's legs while waiting for more officers to arrive.
Hill, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, was delivering mail along his route, when one of the women said, "He's trying to kill the officer," Warren said. "He, too, dismissed any potential harm to himself and quickly ran inside the house."
Hill helped restraint the attacker until help arrived. The men were "selfless" and "acted out of compassion," Warren said.
"Patience and calmness between the three of us helped de-escalate the situation, because by us staying calm and seeing what the situation was about, we were able to tackle it and handle it," Weatherspoon said.
He continued, "Simple conversations. I had a conversation with the suspect at the time and that seemed to calm him down until reinforcements came."
Wright has spent his entire career as a patrol officer in the city's Clinton Section in northeast Rochester. Wright also is a field training officer, and has trained many RPD recruits from the police academy. Wright is well-known in the community. He frequently reads to students at School 8.
"To hear about everyone who has donated their time, food, or just simply sent a card, or said a prayer, has been uplifting and strengthened my resolve to rehabilitate and recover from the events of October 4th," Wright said in a written statement in October. "There are no words that can describe how grateful I am for the love and support from everyone.”
Wright was released from the Golisano Neurology Rehabilitation Center at Unity Hospital in Greece in late October. He was greeted by a massive gathering of local law enforcement personnel.
Wright was treated in the intensive care unit at Rochester General Hospital before being transferred to the rehab unit. "We could be standing here talking about a different set of circumstances," Singletary said.
