LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A southern Indiana sheriff thanked a man who helped save his life nearly 30 years ago.
Steve Bush, who is the Floyd County sheriff, was an officer with the New Albany Police Department in 1994 as a patrol officer. At the time, he had been a New Albany police officer for three years.
Bush, who served 31 years as a New Albany police officer before being elected sheriff, was on a traffic stop at the corner of Knable and Green Valley roads in 1994.
"I was going to arrest the driver cause he had a suspended license and, at that point and time, he sucker punched me," Bush said.
The physical confrontation led to a fight for the police officer's gun and, in turn, a fight for his life.
"We went to the ground he landed on top of me and was threatening to kill me and go for my gun," Bush said.
But out of nowhere, a teenager got involved.
"We saw a crowd of people and my dad kind of pulled over and he saw the sheriff in a squabble with another guy and he told me to hop out and go help him," Stanley Brown said.
Brown was 17 years old at the time and in the car with his father.
”I jumped out of the car and ran over and I pulled the guy off of Steve," Brown said.
After the incident, Brown and Bush went their separate ways.
"I’ve never spoke to him since 30 years ago," Bush said.
But the two reconnected recently.
"I was delivering mail at the city county building and I saw him and I asked him," Brown said.
”Someone called out my name…and said, 'hey, Steve Bush, do you remember me,'" Bush said.
"I started filling him in and he was like …'oh, you know, I remember you now,'" Brown said.
”I was overjoyed…elated," Bush said.
After the two reconnected, Bush presented Brown with a special honor.
”We decided to give him an honorary Sheriff’s Posse, a member award for his service to the community and, personally, service to me that day because he helped me and saved my life," Bush said.
Brown was appreciative of the honor.
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