Bulletin Notes
Law enforcement officers are challenged daily in the performance of their duties; they face each challenge freely and unselfishly while answering the call to duty. In certain instances, their actions warrant special attention from their respective departments. The Bulletin also wants to recognize those situations that transcend the normal rigors of the law enforcement profession.
Officer Dustin Clinkscales of the Austin, Texas, Police Department was working a traffic initiative on July 5, 2015, when he stopped a woman using her cell phone while driving. The city recently passed a hands-free ordinance making the use of any handheld device illegal while operating a vehicle. Approaching the driver, Officer Clinkscales noticed she was having difficulty breathing and may be choking. The officer immediately helped her out of the car and patted her on the back with an open palm. When that proved ineffective, he positioned himself behind the driver and performed the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging a piece of food from her throat. The woman then fainted, and Officer Clinkscales guided her to the ground to prevent her head from hitting the pavement. When she regained consciousness, emergency medical personnel transported her to a local hospital to be examined as a precaution. By coincidence the driver is the daughter of another Austin Police officer.
Officer Clinkscales
Nominations for the Bulletin Notes should be based on either the rescue of one or more citizens or arrest(s) made at unusual risk to an officer’s safety. Submissions should include a short write-up (maximum of 250 words), a separate photograph of each nominee, and a letter from the department’s ranking officer endorsing the nomination. Submissions can be e-mailed to leb@ic.fbi.gov or mailed to Editor, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA 22135.