Quick action by four Des Moines police officers is being cited as the reason a 15-year old shooting victim is alive today.
The teenager was one of six people wounded in a shooting at a bus stop near Kent-Des Moines Road and Pacific Highway South at about 6 p.m. on the evening of Monday, July 13, 2020.
Police say that a citizen flagged down a passing officer and directed him to one shooting victim. The officer then spotted additional victims, radioed for additional officers and medical personnel, then began administering first aid. After triaging the victims, fellow officers continued first aid on all six victims.
Arriving fire department personnel and paramedics from King County Medic One provided additional lifesaving measures and successfully transported the victims to Harborview Medical Center for further care. After the victims were treated and stabilized at Harborview, the Medical Program Director for Medic One credited the combined actions of police officers and emergency medical care providers as the reason the young man and others at the scene survived.
“It was a horrific scene and these officers were extremely helpful in a dynamic situation,” Dr. Peter Kudenchuk said. One of the officers assisted Medic One staff in performing CPR on the most seriously injured victim, which Kudenchuk noted was “a significant factor in not a single life having been lost in that terrible incident.”
Des Moines’ Police Chief Ken Thomas also credited the officers’ actions and provided his own professional perspective.
“There are a lot of great police officers in our region,” Thomas said. “This incident is a great example of the outstanding work being done by police officers every day. I am very proud of the work done by our officers, Medic One, and South King Fire to save lives and keep our community safe.”
