UES Cop Revives Robbery Suspect Suffering Cardiac Arrest: NYPD

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — One Upper East Side robbery suspect went from cardiac arrest to being arrested after an NYPD officer saved his life by administering CPR, police said.

Sergeant James Gebhard of the NYPD's 19th Precinct was honored by his precinct Monday night for reviving a man accused of robbing a CVS near East 66th Street and Lexington Avenue in late September.

"He administered CPR & revived a fleeing suspect, who had a cardiac episode while running from the scene of a robbery. Outstanding work!" the 19th precinct commanding officer said in a statement on social media.

Gebhard was responding to the scene of the robbery on the night of Sept. 30 when a store employee flagged him down and told him that the alleged thief had fled the scene heading up Lexington Avenue. A few blocks later, the sergeant found the suspect's lifeless body, he told CBS2 News.

"He was absolutely dead when I arrived, Gebhard told the news station.

Gebhard told CBS that the immediately began CPR, which briefly revived the suspect, before using a defibrillator to revive the man again. After the man was taken to the hospital, police matched him with store security cameras and arrested him, according to the report. Despite the man's arrest, he thanked Gebhard for saving his life, the sergeat told CBS.