Miami-Dade police officer honored for saving man's life shortly after joining department
MIAMI - Miami-Dade police officer Nilson Ronaldo Herrera Pacheco was recognized Monday after he swiftly responded to a stabbing incident, saving a man's life right after graduating from the police academy.
Despite being off duty, he saved the victim's life by using his training and quick thinking. He was later honored with awards and the perpetrator was charged with attempted murder.
Herrera Pacheco put his training to good use a day after he graduated from the police academy.
"I am no hero. This is what we were trained for," said Herrera Pacheco.
Herrera Pacheco was off duty and working out at a 24-Hour Fitness in Miami Gardens back in May when a fight broke out.
Police said Andrew Rodriguez stabbed a man during the scuffle. That is when Herrera Pacheco jumped into action and ran to get a tourniquet from his car when he saw the man bleeding.
"As he was walking out he collapsed right in front of my vehicle," Herrera Pacheco said.
The officer applied pressure to the wound in the armpit. He said he utilized his training.
"I was just asking him do you know your name do you know where you are?" Herrera Pacheco said. "Do you know what year it is? Just some basic questions to keep him talking so he could stay with me."
Herrera Pacheco had just transferred to Miami-Dade police from Hialeah police and he relied on that training, on top of what he learned in Miami-Dade's academy. He got help from an off-duty Broward County deputy and a nurse who were also there. The victim survived.
"This is something I think every officer would have done," he said.
Now, he's taking home the hardware. He was awarded the Lifesaving Award and selected as distinguished Officer of the Month Award for July. He says his instincts kicked in even though he was off duty,
"I didn't do that for anybody to give me kudos or anything like that. It was just training. It was the job we were signed up for," Herrera Pacheco said.
Andrew Rodriguez was charged with attempted murder for that stabbing. He turned himself in about a month after the incident.