HOISINGTON — Under the right circumstances, helping a law enforcement officer is the right thing to do. That is especially true when the citizen assist comes from someone with prior law enforcement experience. When an officer is in need of assistance, that feeling to add backup never goes away, notes Hoisington resident Micah Ehler. 

A Hoisington police officer was engaged in making a traffic stop at approximately 10:30 a.m. Saturday outside of Ehler’s Chevrolet dealership on Main Street in Hoisington when the verbal exchange between the driver and the officer started getting loud.

“I was in the back of the dealership and I could hear yelling,” Ehler noted on Tuesday. “When I looked out of the garage door, I saw that there was definitely an altercation going on.”

Ehler said that his training then kicked him into automatic as he saw the suspect aggressing toward the officer.

“I then ran out there to back the officer up and assist him,” Ehler recalled. The suspect was observed with a large Bowie knife in its sheath attached to his belt, but it was never pulled, Ehler said. “The man continued to be aggressive, so he was tazed by the officer.” 

Ehler said that a call for outside assistance had been made to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, “but they were on the other side of Great Bend.” After the man was tazed, the officer handed Ehler the handcuffs, which he then applied.

“By the time sheriff’s officers got here, everything was done and the man was in custody,” Ehler said.

“You have to be able to assess the situation and then react quickly,” he said. “They’d been dealing with this individual for a while and things could have gone south pretty quick. It was just one of those things that I’m not going to stand by and let anyone take advantage of an officer doing his job.”

Hoisington Police Chief Kenton Doze expressed his thanks for Ehler’s assistance.

“It just happened to be the best of few options out there,” Doze said. “The Sheriff’s Department was on its way and we did appreciate the assistance. We appreciate any help we can get in a time of need. But, if an individual had accosted my officer with a knife, that individual probably would have gotten shot.”

Barton County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived to place the driver, identified as Michael E. Krom, Hoisington, into custody. He was booked into Barton County Jail on charges of assault of a law enforcement officer, interference with a law enforcement officer and speeding. Bond was set at $2,500 cash or surety. After being held for 18 hours he was released on his own recognizance.