Mahwah Police Heroes Honored For Reviving Center For Food Action Manager, Donate Defibrillator

HEROES: A 62-year-old warehouse manager at Mahwah's Center for Food Action site was in full cardiac arrest when a group of township police officers responded last July.

(l. to r.) Officer Christopher Monico, Sgt. Brendan Mullin, Bushra and Babar Khawaja, Officer Robert Loveman, Lt. Phillip Tangel and Detective Eric Larsen
Photo Credit: *COURTESY: Mahwah PBA Local #143*

Jerry DeMarco

03/15/2019 5:16 p.m.

Using CPR and an automated external defibrillator, they kept Babar Khawaja of Ramsey alive.

His pulse returned and he began breathing en route to the hospital, said Detective Michael Grassi, the president of Mahwah PBA Local #143.

“B.K.,” as he’s called, made a full recovery and returned to work.

He also posed for a photo Friday – along with his wife, Bushra, a CFA maintenance worker – as members of the PBA executive board, Officer-in-Charge Capt. Stephen Jaffe and other administrators presented lifesaving awards to the officers.

The local also donated a fully automated external defibrillator to be used at the CFA’s Ridge Road site.

The recipients: Lt. Phillip Tangel, Sgt. Brendan Mullin, Detective Eric Larsen and Officers Robert Loveman and Christopher Monico.

The Center for Food Action provides emergency food packages and homelessness prevention assistance to local low-income individuals and families.

Besides the Mahwah site and warehouse, the CFA has locations in Hackensack, Englewood, Saddle Brook, Ringwood and at Bergen Community College’s Pitkin Education Center in Paramus.

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