Officer Ortiz Saves a Choking Infant

Please tell this officer’s story of how they saved a life or showed exemplary service in the field. Including why this officer should receive a RISE Award.

On Thursday, September 15th, 2022, the Oxford Police Department received a 911 call about an infant not being able to breathe and that there was a language barrier. Officer Ortiz, being a bilingual officer, heard the call, responded quickly, took the child, and began to perform life-saving measures. She was able to remove whatever was lodged into the infant's throat and the child was able to breathe again. The infant was taken to the emergency room for evaluation but is doing fine now.

Officer Ortiz remained calm in the face of panic and uncertainty and relied on her training to help save this child's life. Officer Ortiz was also FTOing a new officer who was in the car with her during the call. The Oxford Police Department prides itself in training to always be prepared and to help those in need, and Officer Ortiz demonstrated that in spades that day. For these reasons, among others, we believe she would be a great nominee for this award.