Opelika police officer named First Friday Hero for saving man having a heart attack

Opelika, Ala. (October 2, 2026) — Piedmont Columbus Regional has named Officer Connor Ramey with the Opelika Police Department the organization’s First Friday Hero® for the month of October.

First responders were dispatched to a home on Lakeshore Drive in Opelika in reference to an unresponsive person with no pulse. Officer Ramey and his partner arrived and found 61-year-old Frazier Moreman on the bathroom floor unresponsive, pulseless and not breathing. Officers immediately placed their automated external defibrillator (AED) on Moreman, and it provided a shock, attempting to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. Officer Ramey then began performing CPR while his partner calmed the Moreman’s wife and gathered information.

Officer Ramey continued to perform CPR for over three minutes until the Opelika Fire Department arrived on scene. While Officer Ramey was performing CPR, Moreman began taking abnormal, labored breaths. Moreman was rushed to Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown and recovered in the Intensive Care Unit.

“It is without a doubt the efforts made by Officer Ramey saved Moreman’s life,” Piedmont Columbus Regional Director of Cardiovascular and Neuroscience Services Alexis Smith said. “His exceptional performance under stress shows the excellent training and professionalism of the Opelika Police Department.”

A ceremony with Officer Ramey and hospital leadership was held on World Heart Day (Sept. 29) to commend him for his response. Officer Ramey and medical staff received a special surprise when Moreman and his family attended the ceremony. Moreman has made a full recovery and is doing well.