Elderly Pasco woman aided by quick-witted police officer
PASCO, Wash. — Welfare checks are a regular part of an officer’s duties, but Officer Justin Greenhalgh of the Pasco PD was forced to get creative during this particular check-in.
Officer Greenhalgh responded to a patient who was identified by neighbors as an elderly woman around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2021. The woman reportedly fell required assistance getting up and medical attention.
Pasco Police were tipped off by a medical alert system that triggered a signal for help. However, the patient did not respond through the audio functionality of the device.
When Officer Greenhalgh arrived, no one responded to his knocks at the front door. He also knocked at windows and a back door to no reply. Not only was the house locked, but the officer had no authority to bust the door open to inspect the scene.
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The policeman got crafty and recalled all that he learned about breaking-and-entering from his 16 years with Pasco PD.
He inspected the home a little bit closer, discovered an unlatched window to a bathroom, and opened it, hearing some indiscernible noises while calling for the woman to respond. She finally did and the Pasco police officer made contact with the patient.
As it turns out, the woman was deaf, so she didn’t hear the medical dispatcher or the knocks at the front and back doors. The officer found a bigger window to get himself as well as medical professionals inside the home to assist the patient.
PPD says the officer got the house opened up for medics to assist and locked up once the patient was transported for further healthcare nearby.
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