Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said three Newark police officers saved the life of a 23-year-old resident Monday when one of the officers rushed the man to the hospital after he had an asthma attack.
“Had it not been for the officer's care and the medical background of their colleague, officer Robby Rios, this young man might not be with us here today,’’ Director Ambrose said. “I am so proud of what they did and how they handled themselves during a tense life or death situation.”
Xavier Padilla is lucky to be alive after his mother, Juanita, called police to their home on Tiffany Boulevard around 10:12 a.m. on Monday, January 25, 2021. Officer Rios, who is asthmatic and a former emergency medical technician, understood Padilla’s plight.
Rios said Padilla struggled to breathe with his nebulizer treatment as he waited for the ambulance with fellow officers Haniyyah Davis and Thomas Johnson. They were at the home first and offered assistance, calling Emergency Medical Service, until Padilla’s condition grew worse.
“His lips turned blue,’’ Rios said. “I know that feeling. I was having flashbacks when I was a kid with asthma who had to be rushed to the hospital.’’
That’s what he did for Padilla after officers Davis and Johnson placed him in Rios’ squad car. Four minutes later, Rios was in Belleville at Clara Maass Medical Center, where Padilla went into cardiac arrest in his police vehicle.
Rios ran inside, returning with Chris Brady, an emergency department technician, who performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). After a few minutes of treatment, Rios said Padilla had a pulse in the emergency room and hospital officials said he was in stable condition.
“It made me feel good that he was able to see another day,'' Rios said.
Rios, who joined the force four years ago, has always wanted to help people before becoming an officer. He used to be an emergency medical technician at Clara Maass.
"I’m so proud to be part of a team that is prepared to act quickly to save lives,’’ Brady said. “Knowing that Xavier was able to recover so quickly confirms that our Emergency Department team is making a difference in our community."