The Manteca Police Department is currently searching for a Good Samaritan that they say stepped into help an officer that was struggling to subdue a suspect armed with a handgun.

On Tuesday at around 6:30 p.m., Manteca Police Officer Michael Wise conducted a traffic stop in the area of East Alameda and Main streets. When contacting the driver, learned that he was on California Department of California parole and did not possess a valid California drivers’ license. He was taken into custody without incident.

But when Wise went around to the passenger side of the vehicle and told the passenger – 23-year-old Kyle Poole of Patterson – to exit the vehicle, he didn’t comply. It was only after he opened the passenger door and ordered him out of the vehicle that Poole began to comply, and according to the Manteca Police, began reaching for his waistband.

Wise grabbed Poole’s arm to prevent him from reaching the waistband, and briefly struggled with the suspect – who eventually raised his free hand and informed the officer that he was carrying a gun in that waistband. When Wise went to take the man down to the ground he fell back into the car and the gun came loose from the waistband – prompting Wise to pin him against the seat so he couldn’t move.

It was at that time that a concerned citizen that was watching the struggle approached and asked if he could help in any way – a request that came just as a detective was arriving on the scene to render assistance.

“This could have easily ended in a tragedy, and we’re relieved that no one was injured,” the Manteca Police said in a statement. “The Manteca Police Department would like to identify the citizen who offered to help.

“If you know who this person was, please PM this account (Manteca Police on Facebook) so we can thank him personally.”

Poole was arrested and transported to the San Joaquin County Jail where he was booked on charges of carrying a concealed unregistered firearm in public and carrying a concealed weapon in public.

The firearm that was recovered from the scene was a 9mm Polymer 80 – sometimes referred to, according to Manteca PD, as a “ghost gun” – that did not have a serial number.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.