Above And Beyond: Greenwich Police Officer Honored For Saving Life

GREENWICH, CT — Greenwich police Sgt. Jason Lyman had finished his shift after working overtime on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, when the call came in.

Lyman was in Riverside near East Putnam Avenue and on the way home to his wife around 3:45 p.m.; he was already late, having just left another off-duty call for a person who needed assistance at Exit 5 on I-95.

"A frantic 911 call came in of a lady shouting, 'he's dead, he's dead!' Lyman recalled on Tuesday, noting the call came from a home in Riverside.

An 18-year veteran of the Greenwich Police Department, which includes nearly a decade of working specifically in that area, Lyman knew exactly where to go.

"If you don't know Riverside and Old Greenwich, it's a maze. If you take one wrong turn, you're going nowhere," Lyman said.

It also happened to be the shift change period when fresh officers report to work and active officers head home.

Knowing there would be officers coming in who might not be as familiar with that part of town, and because he was already nearby, Lyman took matters into his own hands.

"I immediately turned around," he said. "I was there quickly, way before anyone else."

Lyman found Tony Magliocco unresponsive in his home, and immediately rendered CPR and chest compressions.

Magliocco underwent successful open heart surgery 12 days prior to treat a congenital heart issue.

On that Sunday, he was sitting on the couch with his wife, Lisa, getting ready to watch the New York Jets take on the Philadelphia Eagles when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

After calling 911, Lisa called her brother-in-law, Tony Marino, a full-time Stamford firefighter, and he was the second person to arrive at the house.

Lyman directed Marino to administer a Bag Valve Mask, or BVM, which utilizes artificial ventilation and pumps oxygen into the lungs. Lyman continued with chest compressions.

Miraculously, Magliocco was revived, and he was taken to Stamford Hospital, and later transported by helicopter to a hospital in New York City where he spent several weeks recovering.

On Tuesday on the steps of Town Hall, Lyman was honored by Greenwich, the town's delegation to Hartford, and the Greenwich Silver Shield Association for his actions that day.

Magliocco was also there with his family to say thank you.

"It's astonishing," Magliocco told Patch. "The fact he was off duty and took the call... If he didn't, I wouldn't have survived. He went above and beyond."

During the brief ceremony, Magliocco also pointed out his brother-in-law, who was in the crowd, and recognized him for helping to save his life.

Due to the surgery, Magliocco's heart swelled up and was inflamed, causing cardiac arrest. He is now fully healthy and feeling "great."

"The fact that I survived, I didn't have a stroke… It's really unusual," Magliocco said, noting that Lyman arrived in less than two minutes, sprinted across the front lawn and came into the house.

"He changed the course of our life because he just did the right thing in that moment," Lisa said of Lyman. "He didn't know what he was responding to."

First Selectman Fred Camillo presented a proclamation to Lyman, declaring May 14, 2024, as Jason Lyman Day in the town of Greenwich. The date is also the anniversary of Lyman's swearing-in to the GPD.

"Officer Lyman's unwavering commitment to duty and unwavering dedication to the well-being of our community shone brightly that day," Camillo said, reading from the proclamation. "We express our deepest gratitude and admiration for officer Jason Lyman, a true hero whose extraordinary service and steadfast devotion to duty make us all proud to call Greenwich our home."

Several elected officials were in attendance Tuesday. State Reps. Hector Arzeno (D-151), Steve Meskers (D-150) and Rachel Khanna (D-149), and state Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-36) presented Lyman with a citation from the state.

"This is Police Appreciation Week, but Sgt. Lyman's example shows why every week should be Police Appreciation Week," Fazio said. "He was off duty and changed his course in order to take care of someone in a moment of need. It's exactly that example that should make us call out and appreciate Sgt. Lyman, but all police officers today and every day. God knows we need them, God knows we don't have enough of that bravery and honor in the world."

Lyman said he was "honored and humbled" for the large turnout at Town Hall and the recognition.

"This is what we do on a regular basis," Lyman said. "The national average, if you have a heart attack or a cardiac episode outside of a hospital, you have a 10 percent chance of surviving. In the town of Greenwich, you have a 50-plus percent chance, and that's because of our emergency dispatchers, our paramedics who follow closely behind us, the officers who are trained, the fire department... There's a lot going on."

All Greenwich police officers are trained in emergency first aid.

Lt. Peter Schmitt, who is also the president of the Greenwich Silver Shield Association, presented Lyman with the Exceptional Medical Service Award.

"It's not too often we get to look out and see somebody we saved standing here, looking like he just ran a marathon. It's a breath of fresh air," Schmitt said. "We see a lot of things in our job that we'd like to unsee, and this is one of those incredible moments you wish you could bottle it up and hold it forever."