T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY Marshalltown police question a suspect in the 100 block of West Main Street Thursday who was linked to an assault on a woman earlier in the day near First United Methodist Church.

A Times-Republican employee stopped a man from assaulting a woman near the First United Methodist Church late Thursday morning.

Sandy Scott said he was in a company truck on his way to Newton with a delivery when he saw a man forcefully throw a woman to the ground near the church.

“He slammed her so hard to the ground she bounced,” Scott said. “I honked the horn stopped, and got out. The woman was crying and the man was yelling at her about taking an item from his apartment. The woman said the man had a hammer, but I didn’t see one. I got between the two of them and told the woman to get in the truck. The man said he wanted to help her get in the truck, which he did.”

Scott then took the woman to the Marshalltown Public Library.

“I told her to call the police … it was an emergency … and I wanted her to be in a public place that was safe. I could see a scrape on her arm after being thrown to the ground.”

The suspect was later apprehended and taken into custody by four Marshalltown police officers in the 100 block of West Main Street. Police said they would not release the suspect’s name at this time.

Capt. Brian Batterson of the MPD said he was aware of the suspect being taken into custody

and the suspect was being questioned by officers at MPD headquarters.

Scott said he had intervened in an incident years ago in California, when he saw a man sexually assaulting a woman. He was successful in stopping that assault as well, he said.

On Thursday he said he felt relieved the woman thrown to the ground did not suffer any further injuries.

“I was only doing my civic, my Christian duty,” he said.

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Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com