Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in June 2017.

Over the weekend, a female CHP officer performing a traffic stop found herself scared for her life after the suspect attacked her along a freeway shoulder in Solano County.

The incident unfolded at around 8:30 on Saturday morning, with witnesses stating that the suspect was reaching for the officer’s gun when the two guardians, 61-year-old Joel Jones and 52-year-old Greg Bunting, rushed to the officer’s rescue.

Photo Credit: KTVU

Jones, a retired San Francisco County sheriff’s deputy and former linebacker for Drake University, said: “[The suspect] punched her, hit her repeatedly, beat her to the ground and started stomping her.”

Jones and wife Analisa had seen the suspect, 49-year-old Gary Coslovich, weaving in and out of traffic along I-80 in Fairfield, and he hit two cars at 80 miles per hour, causing the cars to spin out.

Jones, a pastor of Spirit of Truth Church Worldwide in Crockett, decided to follow Coslovich.

According to Jones, Coslovich pulled to the shoulder of the road what he was pulled over, but flipped out when he saw that the CHP officer was female.

Photo Credit: KTVU

“He was like, ‘No, No, I’m not doing this!’” Jones said. “It was surreal, it was like I was about to see a murder in front of me… what are you going to do about it?”

According to the Joneses, Coslovich then attacked the officer.

“I thought he was going to take her gun. He was at her waist midsection. I told my wife, I said stay here and I said, ‘Lord be with me,’” he said.

He rushed at Coslovich, knocking him clear off his feet, five feet away.

Annalisa stated that she was praying for the officer: “I saw her crawling and then I saw her trying to get up and so I said is this really happening?”

Photo Credit: KTVU

Bunting, a father of two and motorcycle mechanic from Vallejo, said of the incident: “It’s hard to see a woman hit by a man. To see that was – uh, there’s no words to describe it except for it was sick.”

Bunting was driving past when he saw the incident, so he stopped and rushed in to help.

The two held Coslovich down until backup arrived.

“I think God puts us in places for a reason,” Bunting, a former youth minister, said.

When asked what they thought of being called heroes, Jones responded: “I’m no hero, I’m a servant. I’m no hero no more than anybody else.”

Photo Credit: KTVU

“We’re no superheroes. But when it comes to- it’s time help out, let’s do this!” Bunting echoed.

Coslovich was charged with assault and battery against a peace officer.

The officer, whose identity was not released, was treated at the hospital for moderate injuries.

Solano County CHP vowed to award Jones and Bunting for their bravery.

Sources: KTVU