A Cop Springs Into Action After Hearing A Boy Scream At Mcdonald’s And Sees A Strange Man Following Him

It is true that sometimes, you are at the right place at the right time to help others in need. That’s exactly what the off-duty officer felt back in April 2017. But this time, he did not only help but possibly save a young boy’s life.

Lucky for Troy, he was just where he needed to be that day…

After finishing his duty, the Daytona Beach cop headed to McDonald’s drive-thru lane at 3181 State Road 44, just before 8 p.m. to buy some food. His attention was drawn to something ahead of him while waiting in line.

A man walks up to a parked blue Toyota and tries to open its doors. The man who was later identified as Robert Todd Sawyer, 54, of New Smyrna Beach, then went back and sat in his car. Then when Sawyer spotted a boy walking back to the Toyota, he followed him.

The boy was with his dad and sibling and they were on their way to Disney World. They stopped by at the same McDonald’s to grab something to eat. The boy was only 12 years old. When he left the restaurant and went back to the car, Troy noticed that Sawyer was following him. It was also obvious that the boy was trying to get away from this strange man as he was beginning to pick up his pace.

At that point, things went from bad to terrifying…

The child opened the car door and climbed into the back seat. According to the complaint, after the child was seated in the Toyota’s back seat, Sawyer entered the vehicle and made an attempt to grab the child and his sibling. That’s when the boy started screaming.

The officer quickly got out of the car and started shouting at the man. Darrell M. Brill, the father of the boy, quickly jumped out of the car as well and snatched him by the throat, yanking him away from the child. They both tackled Sawyer and the officer noticed that the man was holding a small glass pipe commonly used to smoke narcotics.

He then announced that he was a police officer. That scared the possible kidnapper who tried to run away. But Troy, who is also a parent, would not let that happen and allow him to be at large and possibly victimize other children.

Neighbors in this mobile home community could not believe what happened. They all have mixed reactions. Some believe that the police officer did the right thing. They just could not get their heads around the possibility that Sawyer could do this since he was never seen talking to kids in the community or trying to do something like this to them.

Robert Todd Sawyer has been charged with kidnapping or confinement of a minor under the age of thirteen. A police report stated that he was additionally charged with burglary and possession of narcotics paraphernalia. Sawyer is out on bond at $55,500.

Now, his fellow police officers and the parents are calling Officer Troy a hero. But according to him, he is sure that any police officer who would be in the same situation would have done the same thing. Regardless of what he believes, Officer Troy was definitely a hero that day.