Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published February 29, 2024 12:22 P.M.  

(New Sewickley Township, Pa) The New Sewickley Township Police Department reports that on Wednesday February 28, 2024, at approximately 12:40pm, school Resource Officer Richard Jones of the New Sewickley Township Police Department was notified by the staff of the Freedom Area Elementary School that an eight-year-old student was choking in the cafeteria.  School Resource Officer Jones then ran to the cafeteria where he found the school nurse attempting to administer aid to the student who was clearly choking and unable to breathe. School Resource Officer Jones immediately performed the Heimlich Maneuver, which successfully dislodged a plastic bottle cap that had been lodged in the students’ throat, preventing the student from breathing.  The student was able to begin breathing once the bottle cap was dislodged and suffered no injury because of this event.

The department says School Resource Officer Jones has been assigned to the Freedom Area Middle School as a School Resource Officer with the New Sewickley Township Police Department for the past three years. The Freedom Area Elementary School and Middle School are connected and share a cafeteria.

The department went on to say that this event highlights the importance of First Aid and emergency training for not only police officers but also all first responders.