Dickson Mayor Don L. Weiss Jr. and Dickson Police Department Chief Seth Lyles recognized School Resource Officer Jamie Patterson for his quick actions to assist a student who was choking.
At the Aug. 5, 2024, Dickson City Council meeting, Mayor Weiss presented a proclamation and Chief Lyles presented a life-saving medallion and pin to Patterson in recognition of his actions and he received a standing ovation from the council and audience.
On May 15, SRO Patterson was in the cafeteria at Oakmont Elementary School preparing for a DARE graduation when he and cafeteria monitor Teresa Shelton were approached by fifth-grade student Bryson Bagwell.
“Bryson seemed to be in a panic and was putting his hands around his neck,” Patterson reported. “Mrs. Teresa asked Bryson if he was OK and he still continued to act panicked, waving his hands around his neck area but not speaking.”
Patterson said the student appeared to be choking so he struck him several times in his upper back in an attempt to dislodge what was in his throat. Unsuccessful at that, Patterson began performing the Heimlich maneuver until the student was able to breathe and try to start speaking.
The officer contacted School Nurse Penny Arnold over the radio and she responded to the cafeteria to check on the student.
Patterson reported that Bryson coughed up a small piece of a Gusher, a chewy fruit candy with a liquid center. Nurse Arnold reported Bryson told others he was laughing and eating the candy when it got stuck in his throat, causing him to choke and hampering his breathing.
“SRO Patterson’s actions likely prevented the student from suffering serious injury, loss of consciousness and possibly even death,” states a proclamation presented by Mayor Weiss.
Chief Lyles presented Patterson with a life-saving medallion and a pin to wear on his uniform in recognition of his actions.
“We are so glad that once again one of our SROs was in a position to use his training to help a student who could have faced a life-threatening situation,” said Lt. Jessica Blackwell, who was one of the city’s first School Resource Officers and now directs the SRO program.
Patterson joined the Dickson Police Department in December 2018 after serving as a School Resource Officer and DARE instructor with the Erin Police Department in Houston County. He was assigned as an SRO when the city committed to having an officer in all six county schools located inside the city limits starting Jan. 8, 2019. He has served as an SRO at Dickson Elementary School, Sullivan Central Elementary School and Oakmont.
The Dickson Police Department provides nine SROs for all six of the public schools located in the city, with one each at Centennial, Dickson and Oakmont elementary schools, The Discovery School and Dickson Middle School, two on the main campus of Dickson County High School, one at the DCHS 9th grade lower campus and a sergeant/investigator to supervise the program.
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