You're in a store parking lot. You spot a suspicious man apparently harassing a woman with a small child -- it looks like a crime about to be committed. What do you do?

If you're Denise Whitmore of Highlands Ranch, you take action: you get in the guy's face, you protect the woman and child and when he comes at you, you fearlessly stand your ground and you get on the cell phone and follow him to his car and report all necessary information you can to police.

Whitmore was one of 12 citizens and law officers cited by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Feb. 22 for heroic efforts to protect others. The ceremony, delayed by last December's winter storms, was attended by law enforcement members, other first responders and families and friends, as well as the victim of a motorcycle wreck whose life was saved bythe quick thinking of others.

Whitmore, of Highlands Ranch, acted to protect the woman and her daughter from what might have been a robbery -- or worse. She told YourHub.com the woman said that the man had warned her not to scream and ordered her to get in his car, saying "you're coming with me." Police nailed the suspect within 15 minutes after Whitmore called them. She received a sheriff's commendation for her courageous action.

Whitmore told YourHub.com there was also a sad aspect to this story:

"The thing that really opened my eyes," she said, "was that nobody helped me. There were at least a dozen people watching -- a couple of men, a lot of women -- nobody helped me. And this guy was within an arm's reach of this woman and child..."

Whitmore added: "We've got to be more involved - we've got to protect our children."

Read the rest of this story here.