Pennsylvania State Trooper Shot, Saves His Own Life With Quick Thinking

Police officers face danger and uncertainty on a daily basis, and there’s no doubt that their bravery saves lives.

While police quick thinking and the proper training often protects civilians, sometimes a cop ends up in a situation where he has to save his own life — and every second matters.

That’s exactly the scenario that a Pennsylvania state trooper just found himself in. Cpl. Seth Kelly was shot several times on Tuesday by an armed criminal resisting arrest.

“Kelly was helping another trooper arrest [Daniel] Clary, whom they suspected of driving under the influence of marijuana, when Clary began fighting with the troopers,” reported The Associated Press.

“The struggle lasted nearly two minutes, and at one point all three men were ‘wrestling and rolling around’ the right lane of busy Route 33 as cars and trucks whizzed by them on the left,” the news service reported.

The suspect was hit with a non-lethal stun gun, but that didn’t stop him. He managed to break free and grab a handgun from his car.

Kelly was hit at least three times. Wounded in the neck, shoulder, and leg, he knew that he had to act fast or not live to see another day.

In real life, unlike Hollywood, leg wounds can be the most deadly. The femoral artery carries a vast amount of blood flow, and a gunshot wound to the leg can cause a victim to bleed to death within minutes.

However, the 13-year veteran cop was carrying a life-saving device and knew how to use it: A tactical tourniquet.

State police officials told the AP that the quick application of his tourniquet likely kept Kelly alive. He was flown to a nearby hospital and is recovering, the AP reported.

Cpl. Seth J. Kelly, 39, enlisted with the PSP in 2004 and is a graduate of the 116th cadet class. Full-size picture here: https://t.co/GwNrRdUhsC pic.twitter.com/4LSAcMZ768

— PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) November 8, 2017

“He’s battling. He’s certainly not out of the woods by any means, but … he is a very strong individual and he displayed a will yesterday that he wanted to live and get through this,” Capt. Richard D’Ambrosio of the Pennsylvania State Police said at a news conference.

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Tourniquets are designed to completely cut off blood flow to an injured or severed limb, which prevents wound victims from bleeding to death. Many people are familiar with crude tourniquets made from belts or straps, but tactical medical technology has advanced significantly in the last few decades.

Modern tourniquets use a “windlass” lever that allows the user to “crank down” the device and quickly cut off blood flow.

These newer versions of the classic tourniquet can be quickly applied with one hand, and have been proven to be incredibly effective for American soldiers in the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, where they are standard issue.

We are excited to release the SOF® Tactical #Tourniquet Wide with its new quick-compression buckle technology! https://t.co/EBLl4RGKuR pic.twitter.com/sxP1hu9CTb

— TacMed Solutions Inc (@TacticalMedical) March 23, 2017

The suspect who shot the officer was also wounded, and is now facing charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault.

Kelly isn’t out of the woods yet, but if his toughness during the altercation is any indication, he isn’t giving up yet. We hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.

H/T FaithWire

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