Elmhurst police officer Jason Litton has recorded his second AED life save within the last twelve months. The automated external defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart following a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA occurs when the heart malfunctions and the heart stops beating. If not treated within minutes, the victim will die.

On April 21, 2019 at 12:03 p.m. Officer Litton and Officer Krueger responded to a report of a man who had stopped breathing in the 300 block of Shady Lane. As the officers arrived, they began CPR on the victim who did not have a heartbeat and was not breathing. Officer Litton affixed his AED and administered a shock, which restarted the man’s heart. Elmhurst Paramedics arrived and administered emergency treatment and transported the victim to Elmhurst Hospital. A similar situation occurred in May of 2018, when Officer Litton responded to a report in the 400 Block of May Street for a 55 year old man whose heart had suddenly stopped and had collapsed while at a family graduation. The victim in this case had no heartbeat and was administered a shock from a department carried AED. The victim was transported to Elmhurst Hospital and eventually made a full recovery.

In both recent cases, Officer Litton was the first officer to arrive on the scene and had the necessary equipment to deploy a department carried AED. The AED’s were received as part of a grant from Toyota Dealer Match Program and Elmhurst Toyota in March 2016. At that time a $10,000 grant from Toyota funded the purchase of portable AEDs, which were deployed to every Elmhurst Police patrol car.

The Elmhurst Police Department is proud of Officer Litton’s service and is thankful to Elmhurst Toyota for the funds used to supply all police patrols with life saving AED equipment.