Former Merced doctor who performed CPR at Trump rally: 'I'll never forget the look on their faces'

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Former Central Valley doc Jim Sweetland sprang into enactment Saturday, performing CPR arsenic the assassination effort of erstwhile President Donald Trump unfolded conscionable feet away.

"I thought they were firecrackers astatine first," Sweetland said of the gunshots. He is an exigency country doc and was astatine the rally erstwhile the chaos played out.

He lives successful Pennsylvania but practiced for years successful Angels Camp, the Sierra Conservation Center successful Jamestown, and Merced.

"I retrieve Merced precise fondly," helium told Action News. People were precise friendly."

As shots rang retired Saturday and the Secret Service rushed the stage, Sweetland says helium heard a pistillate calling for assistance successful the crowd.

"He's been shot. He's down. I knew she was talking astir idiosyncratic down there," Sweetland said helium heard.

He ran to the man's aid.

"All I could deliberation of was a dependable successful my caput telling me, 'Go, go. They request your help. Get implicit there,'" Sweetland said.

A photograph captured of Sweetland shows the earthy emotion connected his look and the humor connected his garment aft helium performed CPR connected the bystander for 2 minutes.

The unfortunate was determination with his family.

"I'll ne'er hide the look connected their faces of horror. Being wholly appalled," Sweetland said.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro identified the unfortunate Sunday, saying Corey Comperatore died a hero. He was a miss dad, a husband, a retired firefighter.

"Corey dove connected his household to support them past nighttime astatine this rally," Governor Shapiro said. "Corey was the precise champion of us."

"He did what, instinctively, a batch of fathers would bash successful that situation, and helium acted rather bravely," Sweetland said.

He is inactive shaken by the effort connected Trump's beingness that killed Comperatore and injured 2 others.

Sweetland is present calling for unity and urging his chap Americans to code down the governmental rhetoric.

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