Handcuffed Teen Saves the Life of the Police Officer Who Arrested Him [Video]
Since the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, and subsequent incidences in other cities, we have been hearing a lot of talk about the the relationship between the police and citizens, but this story shows another side and is worth sharing.
17-year-old Jamal Rutledge was arrested back in September in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a parole violation, and while he was being processed into the jail, he wound up saving the life of the police officer who had just cuffed him.
Officer Franklin Foulks had just begun processing Rutledge when he fell from his stool and collapsed on the floor. Rutledge, who is still handcuffed, checks on the officer and immediately starts kicking on the door and yelling for help, which arrives a few seconds later.
Turns out officer Foulks suffered a heart attack and because of the quick action by the handcuffed Rutledge, Foulks was taken to a nearby hospital and recovered. Rutledge and the other three officers that responded to Rutlege's call for help will be honored by the city for the quick actions and their roles in saving officer Foulk's life.
My guess is Jamal Rutledge and officer Foulks will become very close friends in part because they saved each other, which is a valuable lesson in how the relationship between the police and the citizens they serve can be, should be, and needs to be.