SEYMOUR, Ind. (WTHR) — A Seymour police officer saved the life of a critically injured crime victim and wants none of the credit.
Officer Tim Toborg had used his own money to stock his department-issued first aid kit with an additional lifesaving item, combat gauze. It contains material that helps with clotting.
He ended up needing it when a man was stabbed and ended up in the parking lot of a gas station.
The victim, Henry Stamper, told police he didn’t know and had no interaction with his alleged attacker, 29-year-old Jesse Stover.
“He approached him, got him to turn around,” said Jerry Helmsing, Public Information Officer. “As soon as he did, he slashed him with a knife right across the throat.”
29-year veteran Officer Tim Toborg was first on the scene. He saw Stamper bleeding to death, grabbed his department-issued first aid kit and pulled out the special “combat gauze.”
It stopped the bleeding.
“According to medical reports he probably saved the man’s life,” Helmsing said
Toborg, described as gregarious, funny, and deeply religious, believes he was only a witness to God’s power. Toborg declined an interview.
“He is not willing to take the credit for this,” Helmsing said. “He says he was an agent and he witnessed a miracle happen.”
Stamper is recovering.
According to police Stover has no memory of the attack and told them he was homeless, unemployed, smoked meth and is schizophrenic. Stover is charged with attempted murder.
The Seymour Police Department was so impressed with combat gauze, the department is going to buy enough to put it in all the first aid kits officers patrol with.
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