Stanley Middle School SRO saves student from choking.

Stanley Middle School’s Student Resource Officer Jonathan Pullen performed the Heimlich Maneuver on a choking student, clearing his airway.

“It happened very fast,” Pullen said.

On Monday, Aug. 2, Pullen was on duty in the lunchroom when he caught sight of Kaleb Self, a Stanley Middle Student, choking.

“It was very loud in the lunchroom, and no one could hear,” Pullen said.

According to Pullen, Self walked over to a teacher and got her attention.

The teacher immediately reacted, and yelled for Pullen’s attention.

The two headed toward each other immediately, and Pullen immediately stepped into action.

According to a social media post by the Gaston County Police, Pullen administered three standard Heimlich abdominal thrusts, and the food was dislodged.

The department states that following the incident, Pullen walked Self over to his office and allowed him to calm down before informing Self’s parents of the incident.

Self’s father sent a statement to the police department stating, “Kaleb and I are able to laugh and joke about the situation now, but without the knowledge, training and quick response of Officer Pullen this could have had a much more tragic ending.”

He added, “We are forever grateful to Officer Pullen for saving Kaleb's life.”

Officer Pullen has been in the force for 10 years, and has worked as a Student Resource Officer for the last four.

“I like interacting with students and trying to change their perception of law enforcement,” Pullen said. “A lot of them probably have a negative perception of law enforcement."

According to Pullen, he has definitely noticed an impact on this front in his time at other schools.

When he sees past students in public, “they’re so kind and nice,” Pullen said.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Stanley Middle School SRO saves student from choking.