ORPD officers use tourniquets to help save burglary suspect’s life

 

Oak Ridge police officers applied tourniquets to the arms of a burglary suspect who had severe, deep cuts and had significant blood loss, and the quick application of the tourniquets likely saved the man’s life, authorities said Tuesday.

The burglary was reported at 5:13 a.m. Tuesday on Manhattan Avenue in the Woodland neighborhood in central Oak Ridge. The resident called 911 when she heard loud noises and glass breaking outside her house, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

“She advised emergency dispatchers that someone was shouting and trying to break in through her front door,” the ORPD said.

Officers responded to the home and found a man on the front porch with severe, deep cuts to both his arms, the Police Department said.

“Officers believe the suspect injured himself trying to gain entry to the home when part of the glass storm door shattered,” the ORPD said. “Responding officers instructed the suspect to stop what he was doing, but he ignored verbal commands and officers’ attempts to keep him from further injuring himself or harming others. The suspect also appeared oblivious to his injuries, was unable to speak clearly, and was suffering significant blood loss.”

Police officers immediately deployed non-lethal weapons to gain control of the suspect, the ORPD said.

Then, they were quickly able to move the suspect away from the broken glass and apply tourniquets to both of his arms. The Oak Ridge Fire Department and Anderson County EMS responded to further treat the suspect. He was then transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where he was last known (as of Tuesday evening) to be going into surgery. His condition is unknown at this time, the ORPD said.

Criminal charges are expected to be filed.

No additional injuries were reported.

“The Oak Ridge Police Department would like to thank the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for the extensive tourniquet training our officers received,” the ORPD said. “Tourniquets are now a mandatory tool carried by all officers in Oak Ridge. According to trauma team surgeons at UTMC, the quick application of tourniquets by these officers likely saved the man’s life.”

Officers used a tourniquet again on Wednesday afternoon to help stop the bleeding of a motorcyclist who had a serious leg injury in a vehicle-motorcycle crash on Outer Drive between California Avenue and Ogden Drive.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

 

 

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