KATY, Texas – Four Katy ISD police officers were honored Monday for their actions which saved a man’s life last month.
Katy ISD police officers Lt. Glenn Cloud, Sgt. Jeffrey Martinez, and Officers Matthew Graham and Jason Ryan received the district’s Meritorious Service Award at the Dec. 9 board of trustees meeting.
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“Last month, the officers saved the life of a patron at Legacy Stadium, the host venue for the US Band’s Southeastern Texas Championship. The event featured top bands from across the region and attracted thousands of families and supporters,” the district said.
On that night, as the bands were packing up to leave, the district said Rene Leyva, a parent with the Klein Collins High School band, suffered a cardiac arrest.
Using their training and equipment, the four officers, alongside a parent volunteer, were able to aid Leyva, who is expected to make a full recovery after his recent bypass surgery.
“This is what we train for – to keep our students, staff, and visitors safe,” said Chief Henry Gaw, of the Katy ISD Police Department. “I could not be prouder of these officers for their service to Mr. Leyva and his family. They represent our very best.”
Klein Collins parent volunteer Jason Hedrick assisted in performing CPR on Leyva before Officer Ryan arrived with an AED (automated external defibrillator). Together, they successfully restarted Leyva’s heart and detected a pulse. Shortly after, first responders from the Katy Fire Department arrived, provided life-saving care, and transported him to Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital.
In an email to the district, Hedrick expressed his gratitude for the quick action of the officers, sharing, “On behalf of the Leyva family, myself, and our Klein Collins Band family, I would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks to your officers for their actions.”
“I’m grateful for their quick assistance for reviving me, and for everything they did,” Leyva recently said. “I cannot express enough gratitude to these gentlemen for what they did.”