Officer Nilson Herrera Pacheco, a recent graduate of the police academy, has been honored with the Officer of the Month award for July after his quick response to a life-threatening situation in Miami. Demonstrating remarkable composure and the application of his recent training, Herrera Pacheco, while off-duty, provided critical first aid to a stabbing victim at a 24-Hour Fitness in Miami Gardens in May, as detailed by the Miami-Dade Police Department in an Instagram post.
During the altercation that spilled out of the gym, Andrew Rodriguez stabbed a man, who then collapsed in the parking lot, which led to Herrera Pacheco immediately acting to the man's aid. After obtaining a tourniquet, the newly minted officer realized the wound was located under the armpit and not suitable for it. "As he was walking out he collapsed right in front of my vehicle," explained Herrera Pacheco in a statement obtained by CBS News Miami. He instead applied direct pressure to the wound and engaged the victim with basic questions to keep him conscious.
Herrera Pacheco was assisted by a nurse and an off-duty Broward County deputy who were also present, their actions collectively helping to stem the blood loss until the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel arrived. The victim, identified as Mr. Paul Vincent James, survived what could have been a fatal wound thanks to Herrera Pacheco's decisive efforts.
The lifesaving intervention just one day post his graduation illustrates the practical impact of law enforcement training. "I didn't do that for anybody to give me kudos or anything like that. It was just training. It was the job we were signed up for," Herrera Pacheco told CBS News Miami. The perpetrator, Andrew Rodriguez, turned himself in about a month after the incident and has been charged with attempted murder. In addition to the Officer of the Month award, Herrera Pacheco also received the Lifesaving Award for his actions.
