Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Jamal Rutledge is finding that keeping his parole status is easier said than done. In many respects, his situation is similar to that of other people who have passed through the penal system.
Success largely depends on being earnestly engaged in a good cause and requires associating with like-minded people. Still, for reasons unclear, Rutledge violated his parole by engaging in burglary and criminal mischief. Officer Franklin Foulks arrested the young man and took him into custody. It was at that time that the officer collapsed from a heart attack.
Rutledge wasted no time in calling out to other officers for attention and rattling the security fence in a bid to draw their attention. His swift response alerted nearby officers Sgt. Todd Bunin and Robert Norvis who were able to administer CPR.
They also brought in an Automated External Defibrillator to restore a natural heart rhythm to Foulks. According to Broward Health Medical Staff, Rutledge and the police officers were responsible for saving Officer Foulks’ life. Now, all three heroes will be honored for their life saving actions. This coming January 21, the three people will be honored at the Fort Lauderdale Commission Meeting.
Hopefully for young Rutledge, the experience will serve as a sign of the good his life can achieve. Far too many young men of his age are laying the foundations for a lifetime of wasted potential. Certainly, those of faith will be inclined to utter the venerable adage that “God works in mysterious ways”.