Life Saving Incident

On August 7, 2019, Deputy Michael Whitney responded to a shooting call in Adelanto. The victim was cleaning a loaded handgun when he dropped it. The handgun discharged and struck the victim. The victim sustained a gunshot entrance and exit wound to his head. Whitney arrived and saw the victim in the driveway of the home. The victim had been dragged to the driveway by family members while they waited for paramedics. Whitney evaluated the victim, who was still conscious, and immediately began life saving measures. Using the gunshot wound kit from his patrol vehicle, Whitney applied pressure to two separate wounds on the victim’s head to slow the bleeding. Whitney kept the victim calm and talking so he could gauge the victim’s condition until paramedics arrived. When paramedics arrived, their initial prognosis of the victim was poor, and they believed he would not survive. The victim was flown to a trauma center, doctors rushed the victim into surgery and were able to save his life. Due to Whitney’s quick actions, calm demeanor, and knowledge of basic first aid, the victim was stabilized long enough to receive the medical attention he needed to survive his injuries.