4 St. Paul Officers Honored For Saving Shooting Victim's Life

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Four St. Paul Police Officers are now recognized as life savers for their response during a May 2021 call.

Keng Her, Sean Higgins, Nathan Kinn and Dao Vang were each presented with a medal, along with a plaque for their efforts on May 11, 2021, when they responded to a report of a shooting at an eastside apartment complex.

Her and Vang were just a quarter mile away when the call came in. Through a crowd, Her says he and his partner found a 19-year-old woman who had been shot inside a car.

"Once we pulled her out of the vehicle, you could see all of the blood on the seat and on the ground. We knew it was a very intense situation and that our time was running out," said the St. Paul native and 9-year police veteran.

"Just the look on this victim's face, this young woman's face. She literally thought she was going to die," said St. Paul Police Senior Commander Kurt Hallstrom. "The look on her face was, you just can't give it words."

Shortly after Her and Vang arrived on scene, Higgins and Kinn arrived also. The four provided initial care until paramedics arrived on scene.

"Your quick and decisive actions saved this person's life," said a St. Paul Police Official during the award presentation Thursday.

"That's our ultimate goal as police officers," Her said. "To save people's lives and leave them better off than what they are when they left."

"The work that they do every day is obviously exemplary," Hallstrom said. "We're very fortunate they don't have to do this every day, but it's reflective of what they do day in and day out."

"For me, it's just another day, another job, another person that we saved. You just move on to the next call," Her said

In:
• St. Paul Police Department