Life Saving Incident

On April 1, 2021, at approximately about 3 a.m., Officer Joshua Alvarez-Tostado and Officer Nadia De Alba responded to a roll-over traffic collision. Suspecting the male driver could be drunk, the officers began a field sobriety test. Instead of complying the suspect fled on foot. As officers gave chase, the man slashed his own throat with a knife and continued running. Officers eventually caught up to the man and took him into custody. The man was bleeding profusely from the neck. Recognizing the immediate danger their prisoner was in, Officer Alvarez and Officer De Alba rendered immediate medical aid by applying quick clot gauze and pressure to the wound. As officers were applying pressure to stop the bleeding, their handcuffed prisoner drew a second knife. Despite the obvious danger of being stabbed Officer De Alba was able to disarm the man, all while maintaining pressure on his wound. Officer De Alba and Officer Alvarez maintained pressure to the mans wounds for approximately 12 minutes until medics arrived.The prisoner was transported to a hospital where it was discovered the man had cut his own jugular vein and would have bled to death without the immediate medical aid applied by Officer Alvarez and Officer De Alba. For their efforts Officer Alvarez and Officer De Alba were awarded the lifesaving citation.