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A Texas convicted felon is speaking out since appearing in a viral video assisting a San Antonio police officer place a suspect under arrest.
Mark Anthony Gonzales, who admitted to KHOU he himself has a criminal history and is out on a bond for an arrest last May, is the subject of a viral video that has accrued more than 42 million views showing him assisting a police officer wrestling on the ground with a wanted suspect, who at one point during the struggle allegedly attempted to grab the officer’s gun.
Gonzalez said he was driving to the gym on Aug. 22 where he trains as a Brazilian jujitsu fighter when he spotted the officer, since identified by his surname, Linville, chasing after 44-year-old Jack Albert Evans. Police said Linville saw man with an outstanding warrant at the corner of Saipan Place and Sultonfuss Street near Pleasanton Road, but when the officer tried to talk with him, Evans took off running.
The man tripped and fell to the ground, and the officer fell on top of him, Gonzalez said. At that point, Gonzalez pulled over to help, asking his wife to also get out of the vehicle to record the encounter so his actions wouldn’t be misinterpreted.
"I said, 'Hey, that's the cue I need, because this officer is in need of desperate help’," Gonzales said. "It was one of those life-and-death situations where the suspect decided to reach for the [officer's] firearm and I was able to pry his fingers away from the weapon."
WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
Video shows Gonzalez kneeling on the suspect’s legs as he lies stomach-down on the pavement. The officer, seen straddling the suspect, attempts to pull Evans’ hand behind his back and instructs Gonzalez to help him grab one arm. As the officer moves to place a handcuff on one of Evans’ wrists, the suspect reaches with his other arm for the officer’s gun.
"Let go of my gun!" the officer is heard shouting, as he and Gonzalez pry the suspect’s hand off the weapon. The suspect flips over at one point, and Gonzalez helps restrain him until the officer can finally place handcuffs on him and radio for backup.
"I had no relationship with law enforcement or the system. In fact, I despised it because of what I was going through," Gonzales told the station. "I still went out of my way because I knew it was the right thing to do."
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One version of the video narrated by jujitsu school Gracie Breakdown points out how Gonzalez coordinates with the officer regarding body weight, under hooks and control during the arrest. The narrator also noted how Gonzalez remained calm and asked for the officer's permission to intervene.
"It was just like watching a buddy on the mat and my training kicked in and I was able to lend a helping hand," Gonzales said.
"I've been a fighter my whole life. Growing up, since the age of 5, I was in the system and I was raised in foster homes and group homes, so I always had to fight growing up," he said, explaining to the outlet that he has since used jujitsu as a positive outlet. "It changed my mentality, my behavior, my actions, my thoughts. With the right training and the proper techniques, things can occur differently and peacefully."
Evans was initially held on a $101,000 bond after the incident and was charged with attempting to take a weapon from an officer, evading arrest and felon in possession of a firearm, KHOU reported. His original outstanding warrant was for unauthorized use of a vehicle.
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