Omaha police and bystander save man’s life during Memorial Park concert

OMAHA, Neb. —

A man’s life was saved during Omaha’s Annual Memorial Park Concert & Fireworks Show on June 28, after he suffered cardiac arrest, thanks to teamwork between a bystander, Omaha police, and emergency responders.

Omaha Police Officer’s and partners Norbert Pieper and Riley Williams were monitoring the concert in their designated assigned area when concertgoers waved them down.

Pieper described the moment officers were alerted to the emergency. “As we get closer, somebody says he’s down, he’s not breathing. And so that changes things for us, and our whole group went.”

A concertgoer had already started CPR before the officers took over.

“The bystander starting CPR when they did is what honestly started saving his life,” Williams said.

Within eight minutes, the man regained a pulse.

“This is why you do it. All of a sudden, we have prolonged a man’s life through teamwork and knowing what we are doing,” Pieper said.

The officers credited their training, which began when they joined the Omaha Police Department five years ago.

“The Omaha Police Department sets us up so wonderfully. When we show up, we know what we are doing. It’s simple. It’s routine almost,” Pieper said.

Williams highlighted the importance of trust during emergencies. “When we were giving CPR, we just have to trust that the other officers on scene are going to do their part and get (Omaha) Fire to us,” he said.

The officers say it was not just them. It was the collaboration between the entire community that saved the man’s life. Both Pieper and Williams say they feel more prepared than ever and encouraged everyone to learn CPR.

“It is such a simple skill that can have the most profound reward,” Pieper said.