Girl, 17, who had 'never even heard gunshots' before helps put tourniquet on cop who got shot right in front of her, helps him call for help on his radio

 A 17-year-old girl who had "never even heard gunshots" before helped a Missouri police officer who was shot right in front of her, putting a tourniquet on him and helping the wounded officer call for help on his radio, KMBC-TV reported.

What happened?

The station said Ava Donegan was on a thrift-shopping date with her boyfriend Saturday night in Excelsior Springs — about a half-hour northeast of Kansas City — when they found themselves in a terrifying situation.

Donegan and her boyfriend were stopped at a red light at the intersection of Route 10 and Corum Road when two officers tried to pull over a driver wanted on a warrant for assaulting a law enforcement officer, KMBC said.

Donegan's car was just in front of the wanted man's truck, the station said.

Image source: YouTube screenshot 

“I saw the cop get out of the car, and then I saw him get shot a few times,” Donegan recalled to KMBC, adding that she and her boyfriend quickly ducked. 

The wanted man shot one of the officers in the shoulder and wrist, the station said, adding that a second officer returned fire and shot the suspect in the head. 

"I had never even heard gunshots [before], so that was a whole new situation for me," Donegan admitted during her interview with KMBC. 

Image source: YouTube screenshot

'It was all instinct'

She added to the station that the wounded officer "was right in front of my car. He was asking me to get out and help put his tourniquet on" — and time appeared to be of the essence, as the officer complained of feeling numbness and that his hand was "completely limp.” 

“Somehow there's blood all over my hands. Somehow there's blood on my car,” Donegan added to KMBC. “When I realized he needed help, it all was instinct."

Donegan told the station she helped the officer put on his tourniquet, remove his vest, and call for help on his radio.

Fortunately Donegan wants to go into pre-med — her dad is an ICU nurse — and she already was familiar with tourniquets and how to use them, KMBC reported.

'I'm just glad that he is OK'

The wounded officer had a second surgery Sunday and is expected to recover, the station said.

“I'm just glad that he is OK," Donegan told KMBC, adding that the officer's improved condition gives her "good peace of mind."

The suspect, 64-year-old Carl Carrel, died from his injuries, the station added.

Seventeen year old girl helps put tourniquet on Excelsior Springs Police Officer after shootingyoutu.be