JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. (WENY) -- Coaches with the Horseheads and Owego High School track teams are being thanked by the community for their acts of heroism over the weekend. Johnson City Police said the coaches leapt into action at a track meet in Johnson City on Saturday to help detain a man that had grabbed a female track athlete. 

Police officers arrived at the Johnson City High School Sports Complex around 2:45 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and arrested Colin Williams, 44, of Johnson City.  

Police said Williams approached a female track athlete, grabbed her, and tried to get her to leave the complex with him before he was detained by coached. Once Williams was in handcuffs, police said they discovered that Williams had a handgun on him. 

JCPD detectives also determined that Williams was intoxicated at the track. He was trying to find his daughter at the track, and police said he believed the female track athlete that he grabbed was his daughter. When he realized she was not his daughter, the police said he continued his search, could not find his daughter, and proceeded to run towards the athlete again. 

During the incident, the athlete let her coaches know about the situation. They detained Williams and waited for the police to arrive. 

“These individuals went above and beyond, especially finding out some of the details after the face that they knowingly went into the face of danger...without the understanding of the implications that could have been...a worse situation...which we are very thankful never occurred,” Dr. Thomas Douglas, the Horseheads School District Superintendent, said. 

The police said the coaches also secured a knife that was on Williams. Police went on to say neither the knife nor the handgun were concealer on Williams and were not shown at any time during the incident.  

Williams was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds. 

JCCSD also released a statement on Monday, thanking the coaches and Johnson City Police Department for quickly acting and handling the situation. 

Williams was taken to the Broome County Correctional Facility after he was arraigned.