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A school resource officer in Sumner County, Tennessee, is being hailed a hero after coming to the rescue of a choking student. Last week, at Millersville Elementary School in Goodlettsville, a kindergarten boy began choking. Teacher's assistant Jennifer Johnson initially thought he was just gagging, but quickly realized what was happening and rushed to get Deputy Stephanie Reaber, the school’s resource officer who was on duty and happened to be in the cafeteria at the time.
Realizing that the situation was dire, Reaber wasted no time getting to the boy. “His face is changing colors and I knew right away something was wrong,” she recalls, “So I ran up to him, kneeled behind him, and started performing the Heimlich maneuver.” Thankfully, her intervention saved the boy’s life.
The student’s mother, Kayla Saunders, says she was shaken when she first learned about the incident, but was relieved that her son soon returned to being his "fun, little, quirky self.” She also says their family is deeply grateful to the deputy, adding, “If she hadn’t been here, there’s no telling what could have happened.” Sumner County Schools also praised the officer and noted that their SRO division is ranked among the best in the county and deputies like Reaber are part of the reason why.
Source: WKRN