UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A Union County school resource officer is being credited with saving a Weddington High School student’s life.
Deputy Chris Byrum was in the cafeteria Wednesday when a student came up to him pointing to his throat and choking, officials with the Union County Sheriff’s Office said.
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The deputy quickly put his training to work and performed the abdominal thrust.
The student has now made a full recovery.
“He’s that guy that takes his job very seriously and protects those kids and wants to build a relationship as a mentor, and we’re extremely proud of him,” said Lt. James Maye, the public information officer for the sheriff’s department.
Byrum has been the SRO at Weddington High since 2015.
He was awarded the Union County School Resource Officer of the Year in 2022.