On Monday law enforcement united when a corrections officer from SCI Somerset helped a police officer from Somerset Borough arrest a suspect. 

The corrections officer, Jeff Keafer, said he was on his way to work when he saw the officer.  He told us he couldn’t stop immediately due to traffic behind him, but quickly turned around to lend a helping hand.

“I had to basically travel down the road a little bit, do a u-turn, and head back into town.”

Keafer said when he got back to the suspect’s car, which was in the area of Berlin Plank Road, all he could see was the Somerset police officer’s feet hanging out the driver’s side window, “I knew then that I was going to have to approach that vehicle, which I did very cautiously of course.”

“To see a CO or any bystander was unexpected, but I’m very thankful for that,” Somerset Officer Christopher Pile said.

Together the two apprehended Robert Mitchell, who allegedly stole a car that was left running and unattended.   Police said he also attacked Officer Pile when he went to question him.

“Everybody in emergency services worked really well in this incident, not just myself or Mr. Keafer,” said Officer Pile.

He told us working with Keafer did remind him a little bit of home.  Officer Pile’s father trained Keafer, “It’s kind of a blessing to hear that and I know that he was with me in the car that morning, so I think about that a lot.”

The Somerset Police Department said they are in Keafer’s debt.  Thursday morning they presented him with a certificate to commend his heroic actions.