Shelton police officer is now on medical leave after he was found unconscious Tuesday

A 20-plus year veteran of the Shelton police force is now on medical leave after he was found unconscious and not breathing Tuesday afternoon.

The officer, whose name was not disclosed, works as a school resource officer at Shelton High School and Oakland Bay Junior High, Capt. Mike Fiola said Wednesday.

The man, who is in his 50s, had left the high school and was on his way to the junior high when he suffered an undisclosed medical emergency. Witnesses said his patrol car was moving very slowly before it was found about a mile from the school, parked awkwardly on the side of the road, Fiola said.

In a news release Tuesday, Shelton police credited a Mason General Hospital nurse for saving the man's life. But Fiola acknowledged Wednesday that more people were involved in helping the officer out of the car.

"We are grateful," said Fiola about the number of people who stepped up to help.

The officer was found unconscious and had stopped breathing long enough that he had turned blue in the face. Fiola was unsure of the underlying medical condition that caused the man to lose consciousness, but he slumped over in such a way that it hampered his breathing, he said.

After they pulled him out of the car, they removed his body armor and got him breathing again. He was later taken to Mason General Hospital and released.

The officer has been an SRO for four years, Fiola said.

This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Shelton police officer is now on medical leave after he was found unconscious Tuesday."