Braintree Police Officers Save Woman's Life In Movie Theater

BRAINTREE, MA - Braintree Police Officers Chris Horigan, Matt Columbus and Mark Gibbons were recognized for their actions on a medical call where a woman was found to be in cardiac arrest, according to a Facebook post from the Braintree Police Department.

On Saturday evening, Horigan was dispatched to the AMC Theater for a report of a woman who was choking. He arrived on scene within moments and found the woman on the floor in a row of seats in the theater. With the information he had at the time, he began delivering abdominal thrusts to no avail.

Horigan then asked the next responding officer, Gibbons, to bring in a medical kit. Horigan had started CPR with the assistance of a bystander after finding the woman did not have a pulse.

Hearing the call for CPR in progress, Columbus and Sgt. Brian Jenkins responded from the South Shore Plaza to assist. Upon their arrival, Gibbons asked for an automated external defibrillator, or AED, which they brought in from their cruiser.

Once inside the theater, Gibbons applied the AED pads, and a shock was administered.

By the time Brewster EMS arrived on scene, the woman had regained a pulse and was able to respond to EMS. Once in the ambulance the female began speaking to EMS prior to being transported to the hospital.

After the incident, officers spoke to the victim's husband. According to the post, he told them that she had vomited 45 minutes earlier but wanted to stay and finish the movie. By all accounts the female had suffered a heart attack and was not in fact choking.

"Thanks to Officer Horigan’s quick response and quick thinking under pressure, along with excellent teamwork and control of the situation by all officers present, this incident had a very positive outcome," according to the police statement.