Originally published by the Chicago Sun.
The Chicago Police Department honored 10 officers, firefighters and paramedics for their roles in saving a 14-year-old gunshot victim.
A 14-year-old boy suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest in the Gresham neighborhood earlier this month.
Officer Jorge Cuellar was first on the scene. He tended to the boy as residents brought him towels to help with the bleeding. Officer Christoper Fink arrived shortly after and Cuellar asked him to grab his individual first aid kit.
“It was very chaotic, the young man was very scared, so we were running around trying to do whatever we could to help him out,” Fink said.
Fink started applying combat gauze to the gunshot wound which helps with blood clotting. This quick thinking would become a lifesaving decision.
Ten police officers from the Gresham and Morgan Park districts along with firefighters were honored Monday with a CPD “Lifesaving Award” for their roles in saving the 14-year-old boy’s life.
Fink said the rapid response was something they all trained for, and they did more than apply gauze to the wound. They held the young mans hand and comforted him as he went in and out of consciousness.
Sgt. Alejandro Cabral told his officers to use a vented chest seal which helps with breathing when there is an open chest wound. Firefighter and emergency medical technician Anthony Woods found another chest wound and a second chest seal was applied.
The boy is now doing well, Fink said, and they are staying in touch with his family.
“He’s sitting up, talking,” Fink said. “His mother is very happy and she’s very grateful, and she is is just happy her son gets to come home soon.”
Fink said it feels great helping a 14-year-old boy who “was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The investigation into who shot the boy is still open and active, said Kellie Bartoli, a Chicago Police Department spokeswoman.
Those honored were officers Jorge Cuellar, Christoper Fink, Jonathan Kizer, Abraham Espinosa, Kevin Stapleton, and Angel Rodriguez; sergeant Alejandro Cabral; firefighter/EMT Anthony Wood; paramedic Annette Cioc; ambulance commander Anthony Wilson.
Manny Ramos is a corps member of Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of Chicago’s South Side and West Side.
Tactical News Online here:
Some experts say that of all the preparedness equipment that people carry, Medical Kits are the most likely EDC gear to be used in saving a life. The fact that these officers were able to save this young man’s life goes to prove it.
In the video above, officer Christopher Fink mentions that he used gear from the IFAK medical kit that he carries in his patrol car. He also mentions that they used HALO chest seals for the chest wounds.
If you already have an EDC kit that includes medical equipment, way to go! If you’re still building your kit, you’ll want to prioritize getting a medical kit in there. There may come a day that you’ll be thankful you did.
By the way, many school districts are working toward getting medical kits to keep on campus. Read about a North Carolina school district who stocked their classrooms with bleeding control kits a couple of months ago.
Also, DTL Gear recently launched a medical kit for Outdoorsmen and Shooters. Check it out!
[…] and the firearm industry at large. Did you know that statistically, you are much more likely to save lives with a medical kit than you are with a weapon? So, just as firearm and self-defense training is […]