‘AW HELL NO': Local Chef Saves the Day, Receives Honor from Great Falls Police

I often talk about the amazing work of our police and first responders. It's not very often, however, that I get to highlight a member of the community assisting law enforcement with the capture of a suspect... and I don't mean calling the tip line or calling with information, oh no.

Rather, we're talking about a citizen who sprang into action and found themselves in a full-on foot chase that began with the words: "Aw hell no."

Great Falls Police Hold Ceremony to Celebrate Local Heroes

Great Falls police shared a post on Facebook yesterday highlighting the heroes of the community.

"This afternoon, we got the chance to honor several heroes in our community at the GFPD Annual Recognition Ceremony," Great Falls police shared.

Among the group of heroes was none other than Donnie Johnson, a popular and well-known chef at Clark & Lewie's. As a matter of fact, Chef Donnie served up our company Christmas party with his signature prime rib and man... let me tell you something - some of the best prime rib I've ever had in my life.

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Little did I know back in December was that this man can not only serve up delicious prime rib... but he can also serve up a fresh dish of justice.

Here is how it all went down...

From Prime Rib to Broken Rib: Clark & Lewie's Chef Saves the Day

Our story begins with an officer being flagged down by a concerned citizen.

"At approximately 1347 hours, Officer Jasmine Roybal was flagged down by a citizen reporting a male in a red beanie waving what appeared to be a gun near the 800 block of 1st Avenue North," police said. "As Officer Roybal searched the area, she located the suspect, who fled on foot and later confronted the officer by pointing his hands in the shape of a gun while displaying a shiny object, before running again."

Here's where our hero enters the story. Police say Chef Donnie was minding his business, serving up plates of awesomeness when he noticed a confrontation going down through the window.

"Believing the officer was in immediate danger, Johnson reportedly said, 'Aw hell no,' and ran outside to assist."

Olay, cue the bada** music for Chef Donnie, tell Spielberg to keep the cameras rolling, and grab your popcorn because this is where it gets wild.

"When the suspect fled, Johnson pursued him on foot across icy ground," police reported. "During the chase, Johnson slipped on the ice and sustained broken ribs and an injured hand, yet he continued the pursuit despite significant pain."

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What in the Terminator 2: Judgment Day is Chef Donnie made out of? Was anyone aware One of Earth's Mightiest Heroes knows how to fire up the perfect medium rare?

Chef Donnie went from beating meat in the kitchen prep area to beating bad guys on the street!!

Okay, well not really - he didn't actually go full Batman on the suspect, but Chef Donnie did put his life in danger:

Johnson kept the suspect in sight and directed responding officers to his location.  As officers moved in to take the suspect into custody, Johnson observed a firearm near the suspect and kicked it away, preventing the suspect—or anyone else—from accessing it during the arrest. After the incident, Johnson returned to work and did not seek medical care for his injuries until later that night.

If you're ever thinking about calling it a half-day or calling it because you have a headache from the night before, think about Chef Donnie. This man worked his shift as one normally does then he goes on an on-foot pursuit, breaking his ribs and injuring his hand, and still has the wherewithal to return to work and finish dinner service before seeking aid.

Are you kidding me? If that doesn't exemplify Montana-bred toughness, folks, nothing will.

After a story like this, I wouldn't doubt or question someone if they told me the prime rib Chef Donnie prepared for my coworkers and I over the holidays came from a rebellious cow that he himself karate chopped into a prime rib with his bare hands.

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"Johnson’s bravery, determination, and willingness to place himself in harm’s way directly contributed to the safe apprehension of an armed and dangerous individual," police shared in their post.

"His actions protected the public, supported the responding officer, and prevented further risk to the community. Donald Johnson’s conduct reflects the highest ideals of civic responsibility and makes him highly deserving of the Citizen Award of Honorable Service."

Hopefully, he gets a chance to take a day off and savor the honor from the community. Congratulations to Donnie and all of the recipients from the ceremony.