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Sheriff's Department to bestow honor on 3 cops for
lifesaving actions
Guardians stand in the spotlight
By Ken Kosky | Posted: Monday, May 10, 2010 12:00 am
VALPARAISO | Encountering a choking woman earlier this
year at a local school, Porter County police Cpl. Jeremy
Chavez did exactly what he'd been trained to do.
He saved the woman's life.
Chavez and two other officers who saved lives while on
duty -- Officer Paul Arnold and Cpl. Larry LaFlower --
are being honored today with the Sheriff's Department's
Life Saving Award.
"For all the officers, I couldn't be prouder," Porter
County Sheriff David Lain said.
"I'm not surprised by any of their actions. It shows
what good hands the people of Porter County are in."
Chavez was working as a school resource officer at Boone
Grove High School on Jan. 7 when he saw school secretary
Kathy Lis choking. Chavez immediately performed the
Heimlich maneuver, clearing Lis' airway.
Arnold earned his award by saving the life of a
23-year-old Chesterton-area man who overdosed on heroin
March 20.
Arnold responded to a report of an unresponsive man and
arrived to find the victim not breathing and with only a
faint pulse. Arnold gave him chest compressions for a
couple of minutes, and the man started to make faint
noises. After a few more compressions, the man began to
breathe on his own.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, and the man
regained consciousness and began talking. Lain said
Arnold was a new officer on the department when he got
the opportunity to perform lifesaving action. Some
officers can go an entire career without being placed in
that position, Lain said.
LaFlower is receiving recognition for joining Porter
Assistant Fire Chief Lewis "Jay" Craig Jr. in rescuing
85-year-old Shirley Skeds from her burning home Feb. 16.
LaFlower, a Sheriff's Department officer, was working
his part-time job with Porter town police when he helped
Craig get Skeds to safety.
LaFlower already has been honored by the town of Porter
and the State Fire Marshal's Office for his role in the
rescue. |
