East Helena honors life-saving police officers

The East Helena Police Department honored three officers with Lifesaving Awards at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Brothers Kyle and Zach Butler were recognized for using CPR and a defibrillator to resuscitate East Helena resident Jason Miller, a father of two who suffered a heart attack Oct. 19. Officer Zach Butler was awarded again alongside Deputy Chief Ed Royce for using CPR to revitalize a woman Nov. 21.

Police Chief Mike Sanders highlighted the rarity of such rescues: just 1 in 10 people who receive CPR outside a hospital survive to get treatment. For these officers to save two people’s lives in the span of about a month, he said, was remarkable. “It’s a testament to the quality of our officers,” said Sanders, “and the quality of the training that they receive.”