Man dies of asthma attack after cop stops him from going to ER

© WEAU 13

Casey Kressin was having a life-threatening asthma attack early Sunday morning when the car he was riding in was stopped by a police officer for running a red light in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Kressin's girlfriend was rushing him to the hospital to get medical care when the unidentified police officer pulled them over (video below).

After the officer realized Kressin was having an asthma attack, the cop called for an ambulance, which got to the scene too late.

"It was about six minutes later that EMS arrived on scene, and they took him and transported him to the hospital, and he was later pronounced deceased," Chippewa Falls Police Chief Wendy Stelter told WEAU 13.

"What the officer was thinking was that this man was sitting there and I am going to keep him calm until the ambulance arrives," added Chief Stelter. "The officer feels that he did what he should have done, and I support him in that. Yet the family has lost a family member, and that's sad."

However, keeping someone "calm" during an asthma attack is not the type of care they need.

According to WebMD.com, someone suffering from a severe asthma attack "requires immediate medical help," which includes "asthma medicine and asthma treatment."

A Chippewa Falls Police press release confirmed that Kressin "knelt down on the pavement near the rear of the stopped vehicle and indicated that he needed his inhaler."

Kressin's girlfriend wrote on Facebook that the officer wouldn't let her take Kressin to the hospital, which could have saved his life.

Chief Stelter told WQOW News 18 that the officer didn't let Kressin's girlfriend take him to the emergency room because she was distraught and because her young daughter was in the car.

Sources: WQOW News 18, WEAU 13, WebMD.com