Bellevue Police officer using defibrillator helps save teacher

A middle-school teacher was revived after collapsing Tuesday when a police officer at the school on another call helped deploy a defibrillator.

As part of a pilot program to improve heart attack survival rates, Bellevue and Kent police officers were issued portable automatic electronic defibrillators and trained in their use in March.

On Tuesday, Officer Jay Moriarty was at Highland Middle School when staff reported that a 61-year-old teacher had just collapsed on the soccer field. Officer Moriarty and another staff member grabbed the school’s defibrillator and ran out to the field.

School staff applied CPR and Officer Moriarty and staff deployed the defibrillator until Bellevue Fire Department medics arrived and took over. The teacher was recovering at Overlake Hospital on Wednesday.

“I think it was awesome (helping save a life),” said Officer Moriarty. “And it was a good team effort.”

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.