Police officer injured, rushed to hospital after crashing cruiser at Fresno shopping center
A police sergeant was injured and rushed to the hospital Thursday after crashing his vehicle over a curb near a northwest Fresno shopping center.
The officer, around 4:30 p.m., may have experienced a medical episode before hitting the curb on Riverside Drive, south of the Marketplace at El Paseo, and driving into an unused lot.
CPR was administered to the sergeant at the scene, police Sgt. Justin Hardy said in an update at 5:30 p.m.
The sergeant was alert at the hospital after receiving two doses of Narcan, Hardy said.
Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama went to the hospital to check on the officer.
The sergeant was not identified other than that he has been with the department for 18 years.
“We know the sergeant was on a prior call for service that could be related to this, regarding narcotic activity that is currently being investigated,” Hardy said.
“I’ve worked with this sergeant since I’ve been here. He was here before I was. It’s definitely emotional thing with all officers when somebody is injured, especially with someone you worked closely with.”
Hardy said the narcotics call was at Shaw and Brawley, possibly in the Walmart parking lot. He was unsure if the sergeant went to the Shaw/Brawley location.
Hardy said citizens helped the sergeant out of the vehicle and held his hand while CPR was being administered.
“It just shows we’re all in it together and we’re all human, and we’re all part of this community.”
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 5:41 PM.
