Two officers awarded life-saving awards

After being dispatched to a home for a baby choking Officer Herrera observed the child (less than one year old) to be not breathing and is credited on saving her life.

By Sarah Shurge – On Tuesday, August 19th, at the City of Wayne’s Council meeting, Officer Herrera and Officer Kanan were awarded a life-saving award.
A life-saving award is awarded to a law enforcement officer whose conduct results in saving the life of another person.
“I am grateful for the heroic actions of Officers Herrera and Kanan,” said Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong. “Their training, quick thinking, and actions saved two lives.”
On June 16th, 2024, Officer Herrera was dispatched to a home on Winifred Street at 4:30 a.m. for a baby choking. Upon arrival, Officer Herrera observed the child (less than one year old) to be not breathing.
Officer Herrera is trained in first aid and CPR through the American Red Cross, so she lowered the child face down, gave her some blows to the back, and the child began breathing again.
“She literally saved this very young Wayne resident’s life as part of her duties,” said Chief Strong.
Officer Herrera has been with the Wayne Police Department for three years in November. Being a police officer was the first thing Officer Herrera wanted to be as a little kid.
“One of my favorite things about my job is saying hi to kids and how kids are super excited to see us,” said Officer Herrera. “I also like when people vent to us — like in a domestic violence situation. A lot of people don’t have anyone to talk to, so just letting them talk.”
Officer Herrera was a bit shocked when she was awarded the life-saving award. “We do stuff every day. To me, it’s just part of the job. But it felt really nice. Mostly I was happy to see that baby,” said Officer Herrera.
Both families that received life-saving support were present at the council meeting. “It was so awesome to see Officers Herrera and Kanan reunited with the two people they saved and their families at the city council meeting,” said Chief Strong.
On September 18th, 2024, Officer Kanan was dispatched to Edmund Street for an unconscious woman with no pulse.
Upon arrival, Officer Kanan began doing CPR on the woman. Officer Kanan is also trained in first aid and CPR.

After being dispatched to a home for a baby choking Officer Herrera observed the child (less than one year old) to be not breathing and is credited on saving her life.

After administering CPR, the woman began breathing again. She was later transported to the hospital where they learned that she had gone into cardiac arrest.
After the incident, Officer Kanan called her to check and see how she was doing. He was informed that she was put on a pacemaker and the doctors don’t know what caused her to go into cardiac arrest since she is young and healthy.
“I can confidently say law enforcement is the best job in the world. You can come into work one day and save a life, as Officer Kanan did,” said Chief Strong.
Officer Kanan has been with the Wayne Police Department for two years and four months. He also wanted to be a police officer since he was a kid.
“My favorite part is being there for people during their most critical times in need — this was one of those situations. Being there for the kids is one of the cool parts of my job. Making people’s day, especially if they’re having a rough day. Making a difference,” said Officer Kanan.
Being awarded the life-saving award was a rewarding feeling for Officer Kanan. “I was glad all my training actually went into effect. You do mock practices, so then anxieties kick in when you realize this is the real deal. My instincts kicked in and it was a real rewarding situation,” said Officer Kanan.
Congratulations to Officer Herrera and Officer Kanan for their well-deserved recognition!
“Too often we only hear about negative actions of police officers. The actions of these two officers are emblematic of what police officers do every day,” said Chief Strong.
For more information about the Wayne Police Department, visit cityofwayne.com/159/Police or you can find them on Facebook by searching “City of Wayne, Michigan Police Department.”