Page 45 - May2021

4th District officers save a life by rushing shooting victim to the hospital
n BY ROSEMARY AN
4th District Officers Rhonda Ward and Julius Givens were in pursuit of the vehicle that was involved in a drive-by shooting of a 13-year-old boy and his 14-year-old cousin.
“Officer Ward and I have been to plenty of shootings, but that dynamic changes when they’re a child,” Givens said at a press conference on April 29. “As soon as we arrived on scene, we saw he was just a boy. And that does not leave you.”
On April 26 at 9:30 p.m., the cousins were walking on the 8200 block of South Coles Avenue when someone in a car fired shots and took off.
Then came the call about a shooting victim. The officers rerouted until a woman waved them down, saying there was someone shot in her backyard across the street. There, they found 13-year-old Swaysee Rankin.
“We saw a young man waving his hand, saying he was shot,” Givens recalled. “And we knew that due to the injury, time was of the essence.”
The officers jumped out of their car to render aid but soon realized it wouldn’t be enough. Rankin, who was hit in the back and abdomen, would die before paramedics could arrive.
“Officer Ward wasted no time,” Givens remembered. “I told her to grab his legs, that we were going to have to transport him [to the hospital] ourselves.”
The officers carried the boy 100 to 200 feet to their squad car. Ward took the wheel while Givens got into the back seat with Rankin, who was in and out of consciousness.
Givens applied pressure to the wound and asked Rankin questions including his name, birthday and mother’s name to try keeping him awake.
“The priority was getting him off that scene and to the hospi- tal,” Givens said. “We wanted to get him to the operating room and let the doctors take over.”
Ward stepped on the gas and raced to Comer Children’s Hos- pital. A police escort led their squad car through the South Side. With blaring sirens and flashing lights, they opened holes in traffic to get the boy the help he needed.
“[We were saying] ‘Stay with me’ and ‘We’re going to make this trip together,’” Ward explained. “He trusted us, and we wanted him to. We got him to the hospital right on time.”
Rankin’s mother, Ashley Jackson, was made aware of the inci- dent after he arrived at the hospital. She credited the two offi- cers for saving her son’s life.
As it turned out, Rankin had saved a life, too. Back in October 2020, just a block away from his own shooting, Rankin found 10-year-old La’Mya Sparks shot in the back. He took his shirt off to apply pressure to her wound and stayed with her until para- medics arrived.
“The police transported him in the police vehicle instead of waiting for EMS, which ultimately saved his life,” Jackson told reporters outside of Comer Children’s Hospital. “So I feel like my baby was a hero to somebody, and somebody returned the favor.”
Rankin and his cousin Randle Archie, who was shot in the stomach and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, are both expected to recover.
“I know [Rankin] is okay, so I want to actually see him and give him a hug,” Ward said. “It’s just heartwarming for me that
I could actually save a life, because that’s what I got in this job to do.”
“What we did is what any officer would have done,” Givens added. “That’s what it’s about — any time, any day, we respond.”
With 13 family members serving as first responders, I understand and am grateful for your sacrifices.
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Michael Distasio www.getmadwealth.com michael@getmadwealth.com
773-609-4755
MAD Wealth, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This brochure is solely for informational purpos- es. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where MAD Wealth, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by MAD Wealth, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.
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