21-year-old Jacob R. Hellenbrand (left) and 21-year-old Olivia J. Boomsma (right) are facing felony charges for battery to a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. (Portage Police Department)
An off-duty medical assistant in Wisconsin came to the rescue of two officers with the Portage Police Department who were “viciously attacked” while attempting to arrest a man who violated his parole, authorities said.
Officer Brian Lowenhagen and Sgt. Eric Walters were attempting to arrest the suspect, later identified as 21-year-old Jacob R. Hellenbrand, outside of a convenience store on Sunday when a woman who was with him punched Loewenhagen “numerous times,” according to the police department.
As Sgt. Walters attempted to restrain the woman, identified as 21-year-old Olivia J. Boomsma, the “male was able to blade his body toward Sgt. Walters and forcefully kick Sgt. Walters on the right side of his face and head,” according to the police department.
The kick was so forceful Walters lost consciousness.
Around that same time, an off-duty medical assistant who had stopped in the convenience store on her way home came to the rescue.
Divine Savior Hospital employee Vanessa Guerra ran toward the officers after she noticed Walters had fallen unconscious. As she was checking on him, the “female suspect was beginning to fight with Officer Loewenhagen again and was yelling about having a knife in her pocket," police said.
That’s when Guerra “disregarded her own safety to help protect the officers,” the police department explained. She “body-slammed” Boomsma against a wall and “held her there until Sgt. Walters resumed consciousness and was able to handcuff the female," the station added.
“I'm in the medical profession. When you get into that mode, you're there for your patients, you're there for the person that you see in need. And that's what you do,” the medical assistant later told WKOW.
Portage Police Chief Manthey of the Portage Police Department thanked Guerra for her bravery, WKOW reported. Manthey declined to further comment on the incident when contacted by Fox News on Friday.
Hellenbrand and Boomsma are both facing felony charges for battery to a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest, according to the police department.
A spokesperson for Divine Savior Hospital was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Fox News.
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