BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — The Blount County community is honoring two good Samaritans to give them a proper "thank you" months after they put their lives at risk to save a wounded deputy during a shooting the claimed the life of another deputy in February.
According to the Blount County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Lee Berrong, Deputy Shelby Eggers and several other deputies honored two citizens who stopped to help Eggers and Deputy Greg McCowan after the shooting on Feb. 8.
Berrong presented a Citizen Service Award to Sandra Solomon and Ricky Williams during a gathering at the Blount County Justice Center.
Solomon and Williams were driving home in different cars on Sevierville Road and arrived at the scene right after McCowan and Eggers were shot during a traffic stop. McCowan was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Eggers was wounded in the shooting, but survived thanks to the actions of the two good Samaritans, BCSO said.
According to deputies, the two citizens placed their lives at risk to help the deputies. Williams helped Eggers by placing a tourniquet on her wounded leg to stop the bleeding. The two also comforted Eggers while trying to check on McCowan until other law enforcement officers arrived.
"Their actions are beyond valorous—neither individual knew the dangers they could face by stopping to help, but they stopped and helped anyway," BCSO said.
BCSO said the commendation is awarded rarely and only to citizens who go above and beyond.
"Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough," BCSO said. " We are grateful."