Vallejo Woman Who Saved Man From Knife Attack Receives Carnegie Medal For Heroism

A Vallejo mom and Door Dash driver is one of 16 people receiving a Carnegie Medal after she saved a man last year who was being brutally attacked by a relative with two kitchen knives.

Amanda Williams was driving through Vallejo in August of last year, when she saw a man being attacked with two kitchen knives, as Vallejo’s Times-Herald reports. The victim, Roscell Wallace, was yelling for help as the attacker, a relative, continued coming after him.

Williams’ actions earned her one of the country’s highest civilian honors for heroism, the Carnegie Medal, which she’ll receive along with 15 other honorees this year.

Williams, a single mother and DoorDash driver, reportedly pulled over and got out of her car despite initially being told by the perpetrator to leave. When the attacker turned back toward Wallace, Williams reportedly grabbed the wrist holding the knives and managed to wrestle the weapons away.

“I grabbed his wrist — the one that held the knives — I grabbed his wrist so he couldn’t swing at him anymore,” Williams told NBC Bay Area.

Times-Herald reports that the attacker, Henry Johnson, then stole Williams’ car and crashed it before he was arrested. He was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, carjacking, criminal threats, and felony pursuit, and is expected to stand trial on attempted murder and other charges.

Wallace suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is now doing better, although Williams said he has permanent scars on his face. The two have remained in contact.

Williams said afterward that she was more concerned about watching someone die than about her own safety.

“It was either sit there and watch someone get murdered or get out of my car and see what I could do,” she said, speaking to Times-Herald.

Williams had previously been honored by the city of Vallejo for intervening in the attack. She told the Times-Herald she was surprised when the crowd gave her a standing ovation and received a medal, which she later gave to her mother as a Mother’s Day gift.

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