A South Carolina woman mouthed ‘help me’ to a police officer during a traffic stop. Her passenger had just shot someone

A South Carolina police officer is being praised for her attention to detail during a traffic stop that led to a shooting suspect’s arrest, according to authorities in North Myrtle Beach.

The police department recognized Officer Kayla Wallace’s quick response in a “Way-to-Go Wednesday” Facebook post this week. Wallace pulled over a white Jeep that ran a red light along US Highway 17 shortly before sunrise on May 28, according to the North Myrtle Beach Police Department. While speaking with the female driver and male passenger, Wallace reportedly noticed the woman appeared distressed, according to authorities.

“While the male passenger wasn’t looking at the driver, the female silently mouthed ‘help me’ repeatedly” to Wallace, North Myrtle Beach Police spokesperson Pat Wilkinson said in a statement to CNN. Taking note of the driver’s discreet plea for assistance, Wallace removed the passenger from the Jeep and placed him in her patrol car’s back seat.