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'You could tell something was wrong' | APD officer describes saving cyclist's life

The incident happened on Feb. 18. APD posted bodycam video of the incident to their Facebook page.

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ATLANTA — An Atlanta Police officer who saved a cyclist's life this month said when he encountered the scene he "just knew something was wrong," but that his training immediately kicked in.

The cyclist had collapsed while on a ride due to a heart attack, according to Officer Jaleel Tulloch. The officer said he happened to be in "the right place at the right time," simply stopping at an intersection where the cyclist was riding when the emergency began.

"I'm just happy I was there, cause who know what would have happened," Tulloch told 11Alive on Tuesday.

The incident happened on Feb. 18. APD posted bodycam video of the incident to their Facebook page.

APD Officer Tulloch Saves Life Administering CPR On 2/18/23, Zone 4 Day Watch officer Tulloch responded to a call regarding a male in medical distress. Upon arrival, officer Tulloch acted swiftly by requesting EMS to the scene and assessing the situation. Officer Tulloch observed that the male was struggling to breathe. At some point during the call, it appeared the male had stopped breathing altogether. Officer Tulloch immediately began chest compressions while EMS remained en route. Officer Tulloch remained calm, often pausing only to check for a pulse and communicate with the male to keep him alert and conscious. Grady EMS and AFR arrived on the scene and took the lead. The cyclist’s pulse was regained and stabilized once when he was transported to Grady. Grady EMS staff also expressed their gratitude for officer Tulloch’s lifesaving efforts. They even praised Officer Tulloch with a letter of accommodation to his Zone 4 chain of command. We’d like to also thank and acknowledge officer Tulloch for his life-saving efforts that day, as well as wish the cyclist a path to wellness during his recovery.
Posted by City of Atlanta Police Department on Thursday, February 23, 2023

Tulloch said as things unfolded, he could tell something was wrong because the cyclist "just looked so scared."

"He started breathing very shallow. You could hear like a gargle, so I knew he was struggling to breathe," Tulloch said. "When I saw that he wasn't breathing at all, I just instantly knew to start chest compressions."

The video shows the officer applying compressions before the cyclist starts breathing again. With EMS en route, he continues chest compressions.

APD said Grady EMS later sent him a letter of commendation for performing the live-saving procedure.

"You just got to assess the situation, you don't want to give chest compressions to somebody that's breathing, that makes the situation worse," Tulloch said. "So he wasn't breathing at the time, and everything they taught me - I just went right back to it."

Tulloch said he spoke to the cyclist's family and that they were "shocked" by the incident, because he exercises, cycles, plays tennis and is in good shape.

"When I told his daughter initially, she's just like thinking he fell off his bike," he said. "It just goes to show you that anything can happen, you can take all measures to be healthy and stuff, but it could just happen, just try to take the best care of yourself as you can and enjoy life, because it's very precious."

Tulloch added this was actually the second time he had encountered a situation where he needed to perform life-saving procedures, after reviving a teen a few years ago following a suicide attempt.