Officer honored for aiding woman

The Grass Valley Police Department's traffic officer was commended by the City Council for saving an elderly woman's life as she choked on food at a local restaurant.

Brian Hooper, the city's motorcycle traffic officer, was investigating an abandoned vehicle Aug. 1 in the parking lot at McDonald's Restaurant on Nevada City Highway when he noticed a commotion inside.

He found an elderly woman on the floor choking and struggling for air, so he called for an ambulance. Then the woman stopped breathing and her face started to turn blue.

According to a report by Grass Valley Police Capt. Greg Hart, Hooper and the woman's son administered CPR until the woman began to breath on her own.

"Officer Hooper's quick thinking and swift response saved this woman's life," Hooper wrote. "Officer Hooper is an asset to the Grass Valley Police Department and an outstanding representative to the community."