An auxiliary police officer who fought off two armed men wanted in connection to a string of robberies has been recognized by the Windsor Police Service.
Gerges Salloum was one of several individuals and organizations honoured Wednesday at the Windsor Police Community Heroes Luncheon, which recognized those who have provided operational assistance or important contributions to Windsor and Amherstburg.
In November 2024, Salloum was working at his retail business, The Cellphone Shop at 930 Erie St. E. near Parent Avenue, when a masked man armed with a handgun entered the store.
The 38-year-old, who was working that day alongside his mother, positioned himself in front of her as the armed man demanded brand-new cellphones out of the showcase.
His mother was on the phone at that time with his father, who was coming to the store, when the man came in, and she was able to tell him what was going on as Salloum moved to gather cellphones while positioning himself in a way to fight back.
Salloum says as the man was putting the cellphones into a bag, he made his move.
"So what I did was I jumped over the showcase, and I tackled him and took the pistol away from him. My dad came in and assisted me with removing the pistol and holding him down," he says.
Salloum says as they pinned down the first man, a second man waiting outside in an escape car came into the store armed with a knife.
"He threatened my dad and was going to stab him unless we let him go. So I went and tackled the second guy while my dad was holding the first. Once I had the pistol and I had my phones back and part of the phones back, I told my dad to let them go because Windsor police were already on the way," he says.
An airsoft pistol and a bag believed to belong to the suspects were later recovered at the scene.
Further investigation resulted in the suspects being tied to a violent home invasion earlier that same month.
A 27-year-old suspect faces 22 charges, including robbery with violence and assault, while a 41-year-old man is facing 24 charges, including pointing a firearm and assault.
Salloum says he did what he had to do to protect his mom and his store by using the training he's received from the Windsor Police Service.
"I'm like, 'You know what? Maybe it's time to put the skills into effect.' So that's what I did. I preplanned what I'm going to do; I had assistance; I had my mom and dad there. I went with what I had in mind," he says.
Salloum, a staff sergeant as a 14-year member of the auxiliary unit, is the brother of Constable Anthony Salloum of the Windsor Police Community Services team.
Organizations such as Windsor Regional Hospital and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, along with the University of Windsor, St. Clair College, and the Greater Essex County District School Board, were also recognized during the luncheon.