Brookline Police Officers, MBTA Snap Into Action To Save Man

BROOKLINE, MA — Thanks to the quick action of some Brookline police officers and an MBTA bus driver, a grocery store worker is recovering in the hospital after having a heart attack on a bus on his way to work, police confirmed to Patch.

"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. "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."

The grocery store worker boarded the 60 Bus and was headed to work Wednesday morning just after 9:30 a.m, sitting with a friend when he had a heart attack, Channel 25 reported first. 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 told Channel 25 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.

"At a time when T employees are already selflessly working non-stop to provide service to essential workers, the MBTA commends its bus operator for her vigilance and quick actions that resulted in swift medical attention for the bus rider," said Joe Pesaturo in an email to Patch.

While the officers were helping the Dorchester grocery store worker Wednesday, members of Brookline Police Department's Training Division were finishing putting together a video to provide officers guidance on taking on and off personal protective gear for the purposes of performing CPR, Paster told Patch.

"The officers on scene didn’t hesitate, and didn’t think twice about risking their own lives to save someone else’s, but these are exactly the type of officers, the type of people, that we know them to be," said Paster. "Our entire Department wishes the gentleman involved a full recovery and a long, healthy life."

Previously:

Brookline Police Officers Awarded For Saving Lives

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).