Battle Ground officer honored for saving man who OD’d

The Battle Ground Police Department on Sept. 17 honored Officer Trent Elms for his actions in saving a man’s life during an overdose in February.

The department said Elms was sent to a medical assistance call with a request for an automated emergency defibrillator, which all Battle Ground police vehicles carry.

Elms arrived at the scene to find a 26-year-old man on the floor of his home and unconscious, while the man’s brother applied chest compressions. The ill man looked purple and wasn’t breathing, according to the department.

Battle Ground police officers also carry, and are trained to use, naloxone, an opioid inhibitor medication that counteracts overdoses. They have been carrying the medication since October 2017.

Paramedics were still on their way to the scene. Elms determined the man needed the naloxone immediately. He administered the medication, and the man regained consciousness within minutes, according to the department.

The department said the February call where Elms deployed the lifesaving medication was its first use by the agency.

For his efforts, the department presented Elms with its Life Saving Medal.