Dallas VA police officer hailed as hero after saving choking 2-year-old at gas station
He's now being called a hero.
While refueling his patrol vehicle at a Dallas gas station recently, Cpl. Lee Higginbotham noticed a panicked crowd calling out for help — and sprang into action.
The Dallas VA Police Department officer rushed over to find a 2-year-old child choking and struggling to breathe.
Higginbotham immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver, quickly dislodging the object from the child's airway. He remained on the scene until Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedics arrived and cleared the child, who was deemed safe to go home.
The incident occurred just after 4 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the QuikTrip on S. R. L. Thornton Freeway, according to Mike Buchanan, a spokesman for the VA North Texas Health Care System.
Praise from department leadership
"His quick thinking and compassion truly made all the difference," Dallas VA Police Chief Michael Dvorak said in a release. "We're proud to have officers like him protecting not just our VA campus and the veterans that we serve, but the whole community."
Says he was just doing his job
Higginbotham, whose department helps keep VA medical centers and other health facilities safe for employees, veterans and their families, said he was doing what he was trained to do.
"I just did what anyone in my position would hope to do," Higginbotham said after the incident. "I'm grateful I was in the right place at the right time and able to help."
About the VA Police Service
The Dallas VA Police Department is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, a federal law enforcement agency responsible for ensuring the safety and security of VA medical centers and facilities.
