A nurse saved a police officer’s life after approaching his bullet-ridden car and realising he’d been shot in the face.
Sherice Richardson, from North Carolina, US, was on her way to pick her child up from daycare in Wilson on Monday (January 14) when she came across the car, which had its blue lights flashing.
As she neared the vehicle, the nurse realised there were bullet holes in the windshield and an injured officer, state trooper Daniel Harrell, inside.
Sharing her story to Facebook, Sherice explained:
I didn’t want to post this until I knew they caught the shooter… but yesterday, on my way to pick up the baby from daycare I was coming around a curve & I saw blue lights.
My first instinct was to slow down (I don’t need another speeding ticket). But as I came closer, I could not believe my eyes.
This car was smoking with bullet holes in the windshield & I just couldn’t go past it (despite my past judgements of law enforcement).
The officer was bleeding from his face & I knew I had to help him.
“He has blood coming from his face and I was like ‘OH MY GOSH are you okay?’” Woman who helped trooper shot in line of duty speaks out to eyewitness news. #ABC11 @NCSHP pic.twitter.com/hSoDireyXp
— Josh Chapin (@JoshChapinABC11) January 17, 2019
The nurse quickly got out of her car and ran over to the officer, who told her ‘I’m hit’. According to ABC11, the officer had been shot in the face and neck.
Sherice sprung into action and found gauze in the officer’s car, using it to care for his injuries. She asked a passerby to put pressure on the man’s injured face, and waited with him until the emergency services arrived.
Recalling the situation to ABC11, she said:
When I got to the car, he just had blood coming from his face and I was like ‘Oh my God, are you OK?’ and all I could hear him say was ‘I’m hit, I’m hit.’
I was like we need to give him help so I called 911.
He had gauze in his car so I instructed another bystander to put pressure on his face while I was on the phone with EMS. He was able to hold it himself actually and I sat there and comforted him.
“I knew he probably got a bullet to the face.” Woman who was in right place at the right time Monday after @NCSHP trooper Daniel Harrell was shot talks about what she did Monday that could’ve helped save his life. #ABC11 pic.twitter.com/gtOqSJ3UTT
— Josh Chapin (@JoshChapinABC11) January 17, 2019
Sherice’s Facebook post went on to explain that the situation was especially personal for her after a previous experience in which she had watched her brother ‘lay on concrete lifeless’.
It continued:
I just had to stay with him until EMS arrived to take over. This is somebody’s son, brother, dad, uncle, etc… & he didn’t deserve to be shot like this trying to do his job.
I watched my brother lay on concrete lifeless in hopes that he would get a second chance. I would not wish that pain on anyone’s family, especially in the line of duty.
I pray this man pulls through with a full recovery.
This was definitely a life changing experience for me.
I didn’t want to post this until I knew they caught the shooter… but yesterday, on my way to pick up the baby from…
Posted by Sherice Richardson on Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Thankfully Daniel has since been released from hospital, while three suspects have been taken into custody in relation to the shooting.
Sherice certainly did an incredible job in helping the officer and saving his life.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to [email protected].
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.