A quick-thinking teenager may have saved the life of a police officer who apparently suffered a heart attack or stroke.
In September, Fort Lauderdale officer Franklin Foulks, 2nd from left, was in the process of booking 16-year-old Jamal Rutledge when he suddenly collapsed on the floor of the holding area. With no other officers in the vicinity, Officer Foulks was at the teen’s mercy.
But Rutledge jumped into action, screaming and kicking on the fence until officers responded.
Foulks’ fellow officers, including Officer Raymond Ketchmark, far left, Officer Robert Norvis, 2nd from right, and Sergeant Todd Bunin, far right, cut off Faults’ vest, performed CPR and used a defibrillator to stimulate his heart until paramedics arrived and took over.
For his heroic actions, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department honored Rutledge and the 3 officers for saving Officer Foulks’ life.
Watch the entire incident below. The incident begins around the 38:30 mark, or you can click here.
FYI:
Notice how officer Foulks is sitting on the stool with his legs under him? Doctors warn patients against sitting in this position for prolonged periods of time because it can lead to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) which can lead to strokes, heart attacks or sudden death. Especially if you have a history of heart conditions, poor circulation, or high blood pressure.
With every beat of your heart, arterial blood races through your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your organs. The journey on the way back to your heart is much slower because the blood in your veins is not under as much pressure as your arteries (blood pressure).
So if there are obstacles in the way, such as sitting with your legs under you, cutting off circulation, the blood slows down and pools in one spot. This is when blood clots form in the deep veins of your legs. When you stand up and move around, the clots break off and travel to your heart or lungs, causing serious medical problems, difficulty breathing or death.
