A Port Orange fire lieutenant is being hailed as a hero after officials said he disarmed a man wielding a gun early Saturday.
Fire and Rescue crews from Port Orange and South Daytona went to the scene of a crash involving two cars in the westbound lane of Dunlawton Avenue just after midnight.
Officials said Engine 71 was first at the scene and found a white sedan that had been rear-ended by a Jeep.
Port Orange Fire Lt. Joe Carrasquillo began patient assessment. After determining that the driver of the white sedan had no injuries, Carrasquillo approached the Jeep to find a man in his 60s slumped over the wheel.
Carrasquillo said he went quickly to the driver's side door, where he found a bystander trying to assist the driver. As Carrasquillo reached the driver's side door, the bystander moved away and began yelling, "Gun, gun, gun!"
Carrasquillo said he saw the driver get up off of the steering wheel and realized he was holding a handgun by his right knee.
"You're gonna have to kill me," the driver told Carrasquillo. "I'm not going to jail."
Carrasquillo said he put one hand over the barrel of the gun while trying to reach the trigger with his other hand. He was able to wrestle the gun away from the driver by grabbing and bending back the driver's trigger finger, officials said.
Members of the Port Orange Police Department approached and shocked the driver with a Taser before taking him into custody.
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