It’s not often that a suspect’s attorney calls the police officer who arrested him a “true hero;” but in John Picerno’s eyes, that exactly what Overland Park Police Sergeant Scott Ferguson is.

Back in April, Ferguson was on night patrol when he spotted a vehicle driving along the wrong side of road with no headlights on.

He pulled the car over, but the driver quickly took off again…only to crash into a fire hydrant.

Dash cam footage from Ferguson’s patrol car then shows the drunk driver exiting his vehicle. He stood there hunched over with his hands behind his back, until Ferguson began approaching. That’s when the driver pulled out a pistol.

Rather than brandishing his own weapon, Ferguson wrestled the gun out of the driver’s hands – and the driver to the ground where he was finally handcuffed.

At his hearing in August, the suspect pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, as well as driving under the influence. After serving 170 days of his sentence, he was placed on probation.

But according to Picerno, his lawyer, he should just be thankful he’s alive.

“He is very lucky and both he and his family are very grateful for the officer, Sgt. Scott Ferguson, who exercised extreme discretion during the incident,” Picerno said according to the Kansas City Star.

He added that Ferguson likely would’ve been justified in firing his weapon in that situation.

“No one is tougher on law enforcement than me,” he continued. “I have to say Sgt. Ferguson is a true hero in my book. He is an example of what good policing looks like.”

We couldn’t agree more. You can watch the dash cam video here.