Abbeville police officer saves life of choking policeman

Jonathan Touchet does not feel like a life saver, something with which Michael Brewer would disagree.
What matters most is that both men were able to arrive for their shifts with the Abbeville Police Department Monday evening thanks to what happened prior to last Thursday’s shift change.
Brewer began to choke while eating his breakfast. Touchet, sitting across the table in the department’s break room, calmly walked over to Brewer and performed the Heimlich maneuver.
“We were sitting there having a conversation,” Brewer recalled. “I took a bite of the food and a piece of it went down my throat and cut my airway off. Jonathan came over and did the Heimlich a couple of times and the food came out.
“I had a problem catching my breath for a couple of seconds, but I was all right.”
Touchet said it did not take long to tell that Brewer was clearly choking.
“At first he was shaking his head and I wasn’t sure,” Touchet explained. “Then his skin started turning different colors. That is when it kicked in that he really was choking.”
Touchet kept his wits about him during the process.
“I didn’t want to freak out and then have him panic more,” Touchet said. “I wanted to keep the situation as calm as possible.”
Touchet said it is a combination of training and common sense that helped him react.
“I think it is more of a common sense kind of thing,” Touchet said. “I have been with the department for 18 years, so I have learned over that time that if you can keep yourself calm, it helps whatever the situation is.”
As far as performing the Heimlich, Touchet has received training during the course of his career.
“This is the first time I ever had to perform it in a real situation,” Touchet said.
That fact did not hinder Touchet’s ability to properly handle the situation.
“After the third time I did it, we noticed that some food came out,” Touchet said. “I didn’t want to just keep doing the Heimlich over and over. I checked after each time I did it until we noticed the food dislodge.
“After the third time, I asked him if he could breathe and I noticed that he could catch his breath.”
The thought hit Brewer that maybe he had taken his last one.
“I could tell that it wasn’t going to be very long,” Brewer said. “If I didn’t catch my breath, I was going to be out. I could already feel myself getting weak. Your mind just starts wandering and freaking out. Am I going to be able to breathe? I tell you, if he wouldn’t have been there to do what he did, I probably would have died.
“He pretty much saved my life.”
Three other officers were in the room with Touchet and Brewer at the time. Touchet is quick to point out that any of the three would have stepped up.
“If I wouldn’t have been there, any one of them would have done the same thing,” Touchet said.
As far as Touchet is concerned, he is happy Brewer was eating with people around.
“With the job we’re in, we cant’ always get down and eat somewhere,” Touchet said. “A lot of times, we have to eat in our car.
“Luckily this did not happen where someone was not around to help.”
Many times for Brewer, who has been with the Abbeville Police Department for 18 months, that would have been the case.
“I usually eat in my unit,” Brewer said. “I am lucky that this happened where it did.”
More than anything, Brewer is thankful to Touchet.
“By him staying calm and doing what he had to do,” Brewer said, “it actually saved my life. I could not breathe at all. I was gasping, but nothing was coming in. I couldn’t get my lungs to take in any air.
“It was pretty much a done deal for me.”
Touchet said he feels he was just in the right place at the right time.
“Again, if I wouldn’t have been there,” Touchet said, “someone else would have done the same thing.”
Either way, Brewer is able to go home to his wife and two children.
“I lived another day thanks to a fellow employee who jumped up to help me,” Brewer said. “I say my blessings every day that I come to work and then get to go home.
“I counted my blessings double that day.”