MANCHESTER – Congratulations went out to Township Police Detective Richard Jupinka who was recently named the “New Jersey Officer of the Week” by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.
Jupinka received this honor for his heroic actions in saving a young girl’s life on July 14. The detective was on duty eating lunch at the Café Napoli restaurant, located in the Manchester Plaza shopping center when he observed a young child choking, and unable to breathe.
Realizing that the child’s life was in danger, the detective immediately went to the child’s table as her uncle attempted the Heimlich Maneuver, unsuccessfully.
At that point, the officer assumed care of the child and through the use of the Heimlich Maneuver, he was able to quickly clear the food obstruction from the child’s airway. Once the obstruction was cleared, the child began breathing normally.
The child’s family declined the need for medical attention and thanked the officer for his life-saving actions.
Once Police Chief Robert Dolan learned of the incident, he praised the detective saying, “thankfully, one of our officers was in the right place at the right time. Had he not been there, this incident could have ended much differently.”
