Costa Mesa man who aided officer by hogtying fleeing suspect recognized by department
A Costa Mesa resident known by some as “Cowboy” came to the aid of a police officer by using his dog’s leash to hogtie a fleeing suspect’s legs. He was honored for his efforts with the department’s Distinguished Citizen Award earlier this month.
Officers had received reports of a man causing a disturbance in the area of Newport Boulevard and 19th Street, Costa Mesa Police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad said. The suspect allegedly sprayed a fire extinguisher at several vehicles before tossing it at one that drove by him, denting its hood, then fled onto a bus.
When the man failed to pay his fare, the bus driver noticed he was acting strangely, became concerned for his passengers, pulled over and called the police. At that point, the apparently agitated man got out and started banging on the vehicle’s windows.
Charlie Lush, 74, Stephanie Lush, 65, and their 6-year-old Rottweiler mix, Luke, were passing by on their way to Six Beans Coffee that day when they heard a woman shouting in a parking lot on 19th Street. They walked over to see if she needed help, and then saw that she was among a handful of people who had gathered around a man who appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, yelling and acting erratically. A police officer arrived moments later.
“The officer is telling him stop and whatnot, and he runs around the officer, and then starts down the sidewalk toward Stephanie,” Charlie Lush said.
Stephanie Lush leaped over some nearby bushes to get out of their way, but the officer managed to tackle the fleeing man about a yard from where she had been standing with her husband. Charlie saw them struggling on the ground and, quickly improvising, used Luke’s leash to bind the suspect’s legs together.
The defendant was a patient in a psychiatric ward and had pleaded guilty to assaulting two women also in treatment at the facility.
“Luke was still attached to the leash!,” Stephanie recalled.
More officers arrived a short time later to take the man into custody. No serious injuries were reported. The entire altercation unfolded within five minutes, the Lushes said.
Charlie’s actions were recognized by the Costa Mesa police during a ceremony on Feb. 2. He wore his trademark cowboy hat and was accompanied by Luke as Chief Ron Lawrence handed him the department’s Distinguished Citizen Award.
Charlie insists he was “just trying to help.” He grew up fixing things, initially as a farmhand on family ranches. He went on to become a technician for a painting equipment company but continued to sport his 10-gallon hat in his repair shop, earning his “Cowboy” nickname.
He said he felt “embarrassed” by the attention he has received, partly because he believes he played a supporting role in the kind of work officers do on a daily basis. He describes himself as a supporter of law enforcement.
Charlie said he was horrified in September 2020 when heard that two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies were ambushed by a gunman while sitting in their vehicle in Compton. He was compelled to show local law enforcement that they were appreciated after that happened. Almost every morning since then, the Costa Mesa resident has been putting up an American flag near the entrance of the police department’s headquarters and greeting officers as they come and go.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
