2-year-old Coatesville boy honored for helping police save an overdose victim

COATESVILLE, Pa. (WTXF) - A Coatesville police officer was able to save someone's life because of a sharp and curious 2-year old boy.

"He just said mommy and he was pointing," said Odale Gilliam. She’s the mother of little Amari who she says alerted her to a man passed out next to his car outside their home. It was around noon on Tuesday. She was getting dressed while Amari was on the bed at the window.

"I pulled the blinds down and he kept pulling them up so I'm like what could be keeping him looking out the window? I saw a gentleman he was just slumped beside his vehicle and that's when I just dialed 911," she said.

When Officer Ed Batykefer got there, he says the man showed signs of an opioid overdose. He immediately tried to revive the man and administered Narcan. Officer Batykefer says this man owes his second chance to this adorable little guy.

"Thank God he was revived and he's alive. So Amari is a hero in my view," said Officer Batykefer.

Coatesville Police put Amari's picture on its Facebook page with a heartfelt post about what happened.

"I keep little plastic junior police badges in my car that I purchase and when I see a kid doing a good thing or something like that, just to keep the relations going, I like to give them out," he said. Amari received a badge and a $10 certificate from Coatesville Police to start a savings account at Coatesville Bank.

“He just lit up and that's the thing that we enjoy about it is letting the kids know you do something good you're going to get rewarded," said Officer Batykefer.

Odale can't wait until her son is old enough to explain how he helped police save a life.

“That badge that they gave him yesterday and that certificate to open his first account at the Coatesville Savings Bank it means a lot. He might not remember but he will know that you did something,” she said.