Atlanta city councilman gives emergency medical care during police ride-along

Body camera video released by the Atlanta Police Department shows City Councilman Dustin Hillis, who is also a registered nurse, rendering aid to a man suffering a suspected overdose.

Credit: Atlanta Police Department

Credit: Atlanta Police Department

Body camera video released by the Atlanta Police Department shows City Councilman Dustin Hillis, who is also a registered nurse, rendering aid to a man suffering a suspected overdose.

During a ride-along with Atlanta police last week, city councilman and registered nurse Dustin Hillis was thrust into action when his patrol car was flagged down for a man suffering a medical emergency.

“We were really just in the right place at the right time,” Hillis said in a phone call with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday.

Rather than sit back in an observational role during the June 29 incident, Hillis tended to the man who was suffering a suspected drug overdose on the sidewalk near the Georgia State Capitol building, he said.

The District 9 councilman helped clear the man’s airway so he could respond to anti-overdose medication as police waited on additional emergency medical personnel, according to Atlanta police. Hillis said he turned the man on his side in case he vomited and encouraged his breathing while his body responded to the naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids.

Hillis, who is chairman of the city council’s public safety committee, was participating in the ride-along at the invitation of Atlanta police interim Chief Darin Schierbaum. According to Hillis, Shierbaum has extended similar invitations to all of Atlanta’s city council members. District 1 Councilman Jason Winston participated in a similar ride-along June 30, Hillis said.

Dustin Hillis

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The incident happened at the end of Hillis’ shift, during which he and Schierbaum met with officers throughout District 9, which encompasses parts of APD zones 1 and 2.

“We were actually headed to midnight basketball, where Mayor (Andre) Dickens hurt his foot,” Hillis said. “It’s too bad I wasn’t able to help him with some first aid, too,” he added with a laugh.

As the patrol car carrying Hillis and Schierbaum drove by the Capitol building in APD Zone 5, they were flagged down by a group of people surrounding the man on the sidewalk. According to Hillis, someone in the group had already administered Narcan to the victim, and the councilman did his best to ensure the medication was as effective as possible.

“It felt like a long time before his pulse came back strong, but it was probably only a minute or two,” Hillis said.

He commended APD’s Zone 5 officers for their quick response time as they arrived first on the scene. Atlanta firefighters and Grady Emergency Medical Services arrived soon after, Hillis said.

“It was great to see the camaraderie and teamwork between APD, Atlanta Fire and Rescue and Grady EMS,” Hillis said.

The man who suffered the medical emergency, who was not identified, had regained consciousness by the time he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. He is expected to survive.