Washington Teens Come to the Rescue of Deputy in Jeopardy

King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht and Auburn Police Chief Daniel O'Neil awarded five teenagers the Medal of Heroism—the highest honor a civilian can receive from the Sheriff's Office—for their act of valor when a deputy with the King County Sheriff's Office got into a violent confrontation with a suspected drunk driver.

According to the Auburn Reporter , 19-year-old Dominic Sansaver, 17-year-old Isaiha Sansaver, 18-year-old Tyran Powell, 18-year-old Kai Tavares, and 16-year-old Darrell Swilley came to the aid of a female deputy who was off-duty and en route to her home when she came upon a scene of a vehicle collision.

The deputy first checked on the welfare of drivers and passengers involved in the crash, and in doing so learned from one of them that the person who caused the collision appeared intoxicated and was walking away from the scene.

The deputy attempted to take that subject into custody and a struggle ensued. That's when the five teens sprung into action to help her apprehend the suspect.

"We cannot thank these five young men enough for coming to her rescue. They quite possibly saved her life …Moms and dads, you should be proud of these kids," the King County Sheriff's Office wrote in an announcement.