Iredell County School Resource Officer Saves Choking Student

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Iredell County Deputy Alan Josey saved a student at North Iredell Middle School.

Deputy Josey responded to an emergency call at approximately 11:30 a.m. Upon arrival, he discovered a young girl laying on the floor suffering from respiratory distress.

“It’s all instinct so you’re just running,” said Deputy Josey, “you just assess the situation and you just go with it.”

He immediately performed the lifesaving Heimlich maneuver on the choking student and quickly dislodged a piece of candy.

“It’s one of those moments that you don’t get to be scared about it or you don’t have any feelings about it until after it’s done,” explained Josey.

The Iredell County Sheriff’s department released a statement in regards to Deputy Josey’s heroic act. 

“Deputy Josey’s quick actions certainly abated a tragedy and allowed a young girl the opportunity to return home to her family. We are beyond fortunate that Deputy Josey chose a career in law enforcement after serving eight years in the United States Army Reserve as a Combat Medic.”

“While we often think of our School Resource Officers as men and women who protect our schools against outside threats, cases such as these prove them invaluable on many levels.”