Florida teenager honored for saving cop who arrested him

By Barbara Liston ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - A handcuffed Florida teenager kicked and yelled for help when the police officer who was booking him into jail in September collapsed on the floor. Jamal Rutledge, 17, is now credited with helping to save the life of the Fort Lauderdale police officer, who was revived after three other officers responded and rendered first aid. City officials plan to honor Rutledge next Wednesday. Police, however, stopped short of calling the teenager with a history of felony arrests a hero. “We’re commending him for making the right decision at that time," said Fort Lauderdale Police Department spokeswoman Detective DeAnna Greenlaw. Officer Franklin Foulks had arrested the teenager for violating probation on a burglary case. While booking him into jail, Foulks collapsed while doing paperwork, falling sideways off a stool, according to a security video. Rutledge walked to his side and looked through a window. Seeing no one, he began kicking a nearby fortified door. The teenager backed away as the other officers arrived and found Foulks semiconscious and clutching his chest. They administered CPR and used a defibrillator on his heart. Rutledge could not immediately be reached for comment through his attorneys at the Broward County Public Defender’s Office. Foulks and the other officers declined to comment. Foulks is on light duty and expected to return to full work by the end of the month, said Greenlaw, who declined to comment about his medical condition. (Reporting by Barbara Liston; Editing by Letitia Stein and Eric Beech)