Taunton Rampage Hero Honored On First Anniversary Of Attack
TAUNTON (CBS) --The widow of a man killed in last year's Taunton stabbing rampage held an award ceremony for her husband on Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of his tragic death.
Back in March, George Heath was announced as one of 20 recipients of a Carnegie medal for heroism for his actions intervening in the stabbing rampage.
His widow, Rosemary Health, received the award from Governor Charlie Baker at her home. The ceremony, held in the Heaths' backyard, was where the two had gotten married 15 years earlier.
"I think all of us wonder what we would do if we were ever put in a situation that required an extraordinary act. And obviously, nobody knows what we would do in that situation until they're presented with one," said Baker, presenting the award.
"And there was George Heath in a split second who made a decision to put himself in between an attacker wielding a knife and a pregnant woman."
Rosemary smiled through tears during the ceremony. She stressed to hug your loved ones when you have the chance, never take them for granted, and to be kind to everyone.
On May 10, 2016, Arthur DaRosa entered a Taunton home, killed Patricia Slavin and injured her daughter.
After that encounter, DaRosa crashed his car into the Macy's at the Silver City Galleria, attacked several people inside the store, and continued his rampage inside a Bertucci's restaurant, where Rosemary and George Heath were having dinner.
Heath grabbed DaRosa, halting his attack on waitress Sheenah Savoy, who was pregnant at the time. But DaRosa stabbed Heath in the head and killed him.
DaRosa's rampage ended when off-duty Plymouth County Sheriff's Deputy James Creed shot and killed him.
According to Creed, Heath was the true hero.
"George selflessly intervened within seconds, without even knowing what was going on," he said following the incident. "He was wrestling with DaRosa before I could even react, so without George, things would have been very much worse."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
