3 METRO police officers rescue man injured during downtown storm: ‘We would do it again’

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — During the height of the May 16 storm, a severely injured man wandering the streets of downtown Houston was rescued by three METRO police officers.

Officers Byron Wiley, Eddie Rodriguez, and Walid Koual spoke exclusively with Eyewitness News about the incident.

Officer Wiley recounted being flagged down by a passerby while driving downtown, who directed him to the Wells Fargo Plaza. Dashcam footage from attorney Michael Lombardino shows the man walking down Louisiana Street, clutching his arm as debris swirled around him.

When Wiley reached the man in the Wells Fargo Plaza lobby, he saw a large gash on the man’s arm.

“The laceration was pretty deep, and he was losing a lot of blood quickly,” Wiley said. He quickly improvised a tourniquet using a trash bag provided by a nearby cleaning lady, as he couldn’t access his medical kit in time.

Wiley called for backup, and officers Rodriguez and Koual arrived on the scene.

“We train for this, but when it’s time to act, it’s different,” Koual said.

With no ambulances available, the officers decided to transport the man in their patrol vehicle. Battling the same storm conditions that had injured the victim, they headed to St. Joseph Medical Center, just a few blocks away.

“He told me he was driving downtown and something hit his windshield, shattering it,” Wiley said.

To keep the man from going into shock, the officers talked to him throughout the drive.

“He was disoriented from the blood loss and the large laceration,” Koual explained.

At the hospital, doctors assured the officers that the man would make a full recovery. However, as they left the hospital, the officers discovered a flat tire caused by a piece of glass.

“We just did our job, and we’d do it again if needed. I’m glad to be in this line of work,” Koual said.

“No hero here, just doing my job,” Wiley added.