On the evening of July 6, 2015, Central Area Police Officer II Domingo Silva and Police Officer II Pedro Alvarez were on patrol near 6th Street and Towne Avenue when a man flagged them down for assistance. He advised officers that another man nearby was suffering from a heroin overdose.
The officers immediately made a call for paramedics and then began performing CPR with the help of the man who summoned them. At that point, the drug-overdose victim was unconscious and not breathing. While conducting chest compressions, an uncapped needle on a syringe inside the victim’s shirt pocket penetrated Officer Silva’s latex gloves and punctured his right index finger.
After the officers revived the man, paramedics took him to a local hospital where he voluntarily submitted to a test for blood-borne pathogens. Officer Silva was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center dispensary for treatment of his exposure.
This life-saving incident serves to remind both officers and the public of the many potential hazards, both routine and unexpected, that officers face on a daily basis.
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I hope officer Silva's test come back clean and that he doesn't worry to much about the results. Everything will work out in the end. Thank him for the courageous job he does everyday even knowing how dangerous the job is. I will have him in my thoughts and wishing him well. Thank you officer Silva for the great officer that you are and I wish you and your family peace and health.
Posted by: Michelle Priest-Vicuna | July 15, 2024 at 11:50 PM