A York City firefighter working to free a man from his car after it crashed realized the man was about to pull out a gun and managed to disarm him.
Bill Sleeger Jr. saw Durrell Herman Cotton, 30, trying to pull the loaded gun out of his pocket and stopped him, warning police officers also responding to the accident.
"He saved himself from injury, but possibly me as well," said York City Police Sgt. Dan Aikey. "It was a safety issue that had to be addressed immediately -- he recognized that and made me aware of it."
Police and firefighters responded at 8:23 p.m. to the 200 block of Kings Mills Road, near Oak Lane, for a gold Pontiac Grand Am that crashed into a parked car and flipped over as it was going the wrong way on the road.
"The car was on its roof, with the victim laying there, and Sgt. Aikey had his head in the window," Sleeger said today. "I was trying to assess him ... but he kept reaching for his pants pocket -- he had on those real baggy pants."
Sleeger said that's when he reached over and felt the gun.
"I grabbed hold of the barrel so he couldn't pull it out of his pocket. With my other hand, I grabbed his hand so he couldn't fire, if it came to that," he said. "I didn't know what his thoughts were. I didn't know if he was going to ditch it or what, and I didn't want to give him the opportunity where someone would get hurt."
Sleeger said he yelled to Aikey that Cotton was armed. Moments later, Sleeger and city officers disarmed him.
Felony record: Police ran a check on the gun and learned it had been reported stolen from West Manchester Township in 2002. The check also revealed that Cotton, 30, of 18 W. South St., was convicted of robbery in Philadelphia in 1992, police said.
When Cotton was admitted to York Hospital for injuries including facial swelling, a hospital employee found five bags filled with marijuana in Cotton's pants, police said.
Cotton was released from York Hospital yesterday morning and arraigned by District Justice Ronald J. Haskell Jr. on charges of receiving stolen property, felons not to possesses a firearm and possession with intent to deliver marijuana. He was released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
York City Police Officer Jeremy Strathmeyer, who filed the charging documents, said Cotton was headed east on Kings Mill Road, a one-way street where traffic must head west. Cotton's Pontiac hit a Ford Explorer head on. The Explorer is owned by Sarah Baskerville, who lives nearby.
Strathmeyer said he went to the passenger side of the Pontiac, while Aikey was standing by Cotton's head and Sleeger was holding Cotton's legs.
Strathmeyer said the Glock .40-caliber handgun, with a 10-round clip, was reported stolen in November by Jason Grim.
