WARRENTON — The Warrenton Police Department and the City Commission recognized a resident and a police officer Tuesday night for acts of bravery and mettle during potentially deadly encounters.

Last November, John Breitmeyer dragged a man who was choking and beating a woman from a car outside the Warrenton Mini Mart and then, with others, held the suspect until he could be taken into custody by police.

The woman, who was with her 2-year-old son, had pulled into the mini mart’s parking lot in hopes that people would see the assault and intervene.

“If not for the decision of the female and Mr. Breitmeyer’s bravery and the willingness to help the victim that November evening, I am positive that the incident would have ended in tragedy,” Police Chief Matthew Workman told the City Commission before presenting Breitmeyer with a certificate of commendation.

In February, Workman said, Officer Robert Wirt helped with the seizure of a sizable amount of methamphetamine after picking up two suspects with arrest warrants at the South Jetty Inn in Hammond.

In January, Wirt, who had been asked to check on an 18-year-old woman in Hammond who had been posting online about suicide, helped talk the woman into putting down a rifle she had drawn after the police officer arrived.

“Though this situation could have escalated to deadly force — and you would have been justified — you were able to maintain composure, control, and work toward safe resolution for everyone involved,” Workman told the commission.

The police chief said a letter of commendation would be placed into Wirt’s personnel file.

In other action Tuesday night:

• Mayor Mark Kujala proclaimed April Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

• The City Commission voted to formally change commission meeting times to 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. The commission had been starting meetings at 7 p.m.