Three Cleveland police officers are being recognized for their lifesaving actions in the field. Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker honored officers Justin Baldwin and Darius Dorsey and Sgt. Denton Vaughan during Monday’s Cleveland City Council Meeting.
The Chief said Vaughn and Dorsey on March 16 responded to an unknown problem with a vehicle stopped on West Underwood Street at the West Kytle intersection in Cleveland.
As Sgt. Vaughn arrived on the scene, traffic was backed up, with people standing around the vehicle were yelling that the driver was unconscious and the doors were locked. Vaughn observed that the vehicle was in drive and the driver had his foot on the brake, but Sgt. Vaughn couldn’t get him to respond.
After multiple attempts, and with assistance from bystanders, Vaughn and Dorsey were able to force entry into the vehicle. Assessing that the driver was not breathing, and no pulse could be found, the officers immediately took the driver out of the truck, placed him on the ground, and started CPR.
Sgt. Vaughn and Officer Dorsey both performed CPR, rotating turns until the man was barely breathing. They administered Narcan, which brought the man back to consciousness. He was then turned over to the Med Unit that had just arrived.
“The quick, decisive actions and determination of Sgt. Vaughn and Officer Dorsey saved this young man’s life,” Chief Shoemaker said.
In recognizing officer Baldwin, Shoemaker told of an incident on Cloverdale Drive. He said that on Saturday, March 26, Officer Baldwin and other officers responded to the area where a man had been severely injured by another man with a knife.
Officer Baldwin arrived on the scene to find the other officers confronting the man with the knife. He found the victim on the ground, pale, sweaty, and bleeding excessively from deep cuts on his leg. Officer Baldwin observed that the victim was leaning against a parked vehicle, in a weakened and serious condition due to blood loss.
According to Shoemaker, bystanders had tied an ineffective make-shift tourniquet in an attempt to save the victim’s life. Officer Baldwin utilized his department-issued tourniquet and applied enough pressure to effectively stop the bleeding, so the man could later be transported to the hospital, where he recovered.
The quick, decisive actions and determination of Officer Baldwin saved the victim’s life, Shoemaker said.
“These actions not only reflect highly upon Officer Baldwin, but his profession, this department, and the City of Cleveland,” the chief added.
All three officers received awards for their actions and a recognition letter that has been placed in their personnel files.
