Boston Celtics Honor Brookline Officer As 'Hero Among Us'

BROOKLINE, MA —The Boston Celtics recently honored Sean Williams, a Brookline Police Officer, as a "Hero Among Us" for his work saving the life of a grocery store worker suffering from what appeared to be a heart attack. He effectively applied an AED, helping the man to regain a pulse until help arrived.

The grocery store worker boarded the 60 Bus and was headed to work one April morning just after 9:30 a.m, sitting with a friend when he had the heart attack. The MBTA bus driver saw two officers not far from where she was on Route 9 and Pearl Street and pulled up to ask the officers for help, MBTA officials told Patch.

The driver opened the bus doors and the officers could see the man laying on the floor of the bus.
That's when Brookline Police Officer Sean Williams and Officer Evans Alfred, who were working a detail in the area snapped into action, police said.

Williams who joined the Brookline Police Department in 1995, jumped up the steps of the bus to help the man, while Evans, who has been with the department since 2003, called for EMS and an AED.

Williams said at the time the man didn't appear to be breathing. The officer couldn't find a pulse.

A firefighter from Ladder 2 brought over a defibrillator, according to the Brookline Fire Chief John Sullivan, to help analyze the heart's rhythm and deliver a shock to help reestablish an effective rhythm.

And Williams began CPR on the man. He eventually regained a pulse, according to police, and Fallon Ambulance EMTs were able to rush the 64-year-old Dorchester man to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital.

While the officers were helping the man, the 46-year-old bus driver, who has been with MBTA for nearly 19 years, radioed the bus Control Center to report a passenger in distress and let staff know that police officers were on scene.

"Our entire department is proud of, but not surprised by, the bravery, skill set and teamwork displayed by the officers involved on yesterday's call," said Lt. Jen Paster, a spokesperson for the Brookline Police in an email to Patch at the time. "If you ask them they will likely tell you they were just doing their jobs, and to a certain extent they are correct, but it takes a special kind of person to be able to switch modes so quickly- from monitoring cars in traffic to recognizing and responding to a person in cardiac arrest."

In 2017 Williams was awarded a Commendation Medal for receiving his 5th commendations for excellent police work. That year, he identified and chased down a man wanted for burglary, but he was also recognized for representing a police officer with compassion. Former Police Chief Dan O'Leary said when someone called to report a woman had been beaten and robbed by a member of her family, Williams arrived to find the 88-year-old woman on the floor badly beaten. He not only took care of her until medical attention arrived, he stayed with her through that, and took her to court when the time came and sat with her and made sure she had counseling and help.

"That's the type of person Sean is," said O'Leary at the time.

Since its establishment in 1997 by the Boston Celtics, The Heroes Among Us program has recognized outstanding individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to their communities. The award is usually presented at every Celtics home game and pays tribute to the heroic achievements of these outstanding citizens.

• Brookline Police Officers, MBTA Snap Into Action To Save Life
• Brookline To Raise Banner To Support Black Lives
• Brookline Police Officers Awarded For Saving Lives

Got a tip? Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, a column, event or opinion piece.