Amboy officer and Lee County deputy honored for life-saving actions during Depot Days Parade

DIXON – An Amboy police officer and a Lee County deputy were honored Thursday for their quick response to a call about a bar employee who collapsed during the Amboy Depot Days Parade in August.

Lee County Sheriff Clay Whelan got emotional while presenting the awards to Amboy Officer Tom Lehman and Deputy Kyle Kellen, who was recently promoted to corporal, at a Lee County Board meeting. “I would like to express how proud I am to work alongside these gentleman,” Whelan said.

Police were called shortly before 4 p.m. Aug. 24 to the Last Alarm bar at 43 Southeast Ave. in Amboy. An employee, Roberta Glenn, had suddenly collapsed, was unconscious behind the bar, and bystanders had begun performing CPR.

The incident was recorded on surveillance cameras at the bar. It has since been edited and incorporated as medical response training for the Basic Law Enforcement Academy at Sauk Valley Community College, Whelan said.

Within two minutes, Lehman arrived at the scene and began performing CPR. Kellen arrived a minute later with an automated external defibrillator – a medical device that’s intended to restore a normal heart rhythm in people experiencing cardiac arrest.

“When I heard they were on the scene, I was out in my squad,” Amboy Police Chief Paul Smith said. “I said to myself, you couldn’t ask for two better officers to respond.”

Kellen deployed the AED, which analyzed Glenn’s heart rhythm and advised him to deliver a shock. He delivered one shock to Glenn, who still had no pulse, and CPR was continued as medical personnel from the Amboy Fire Department arrived, the video shows.

Glenn then took a large gasp of air and began breathing on her own. After that, Lehman reported Glenn had a strong pulse.

“She was successfully revived and is alive today because of their performance,” Whelan said.

Glenn, who is “still on the mend,” did not attend Thursday’s presentation, “but she wanted to convey her sincere gratitude to these individuals,” Whelan said.

Smith also recalled running into Glenn out in the park.

“She was very grateful for you guys,” he said.