When someone is arrested, it’s probably safe to assume that the person not exactly fond of the officer who brought them in to the station. When that person is a teenager, you usually top it off with some classic teenage angst.
But 17-year-old Jamal Rutledge was not a typical angry teenager when he was arrested in 2014.
The Fort Lauderdale police station’s surveillance camera was recording as Officer Franklin Foulks (49) was filling out paperwork and Rutledge was waiting patiently in handcuffs on a bench across the room.
Then… Foulks suddenly collapsed.
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At this point, Rutledge could have stayed in his seat and simply yelled for help. He did yell for help, but he also got up and kicked the door and made a lot of noise to get the attention of other officers.
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Eventually three other officers ran in and saw Faulks laying on the ground “semi-conscious” and “clenching his chest in distress.” One of the officers began CPR while another prepared the automated external defibrillator to “electronically simulate Officer Faulks’ heart.”
According to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, fire and rescue arrived at the scene and transported the officer to a nearby hospital … where he fully recovered.
Staff at the hospital that treated Faulks credited Rutledge’s swift action for saving the officer’s life. The sentiment was echoed by the Police Department, who went on to honor the teenager in January 2015.
Fort Lauderdale Police Department
Despite the legal complications Rutledge faced because of his arrest, the Police Department insisted on honoring his actions. Detective DeAnna Greenlaw said, “we wanted to commend him for making the right decision. We wanted to make a positive impact on him and his vision of police officers.”
Rutledge and the three officers who resuscitated Faulks were officially honored by the Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner. Faulks was in attendance and personally thanked everyone who helped save his life that night saying, “what they gave back to me that night was the ability to continue to enjoy my family.”
Watch the entire scene unfold in the video below – and be sure to share this heartwarming story with your friends.
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