Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Intervenes as Fellow Politician Experiences ‘a Health-Related Incident’

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass sprang into action when a fellow city council member appeared to suffer a medical emergency during a live event. 

Bass, 71, and Los Angeles City Council member Curren D. Price were among the many gathered at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new L.A. Convention Center expansion project on Wednesday, Oct. 1, when Price dropped to the ground after speaking. 

ABC 7, multiple other news outlets and attendees shared footage of the incident, as those standing closest to the councilman did their best to shield cameras from taking pictures. 

Footage showed Bass kneeling at Price’s side to assess and monitor him, while also seeming to keep him as calm as possible until additional help arrived. Paramedics tended to him in an ambulance for at least 10 minutes, reports ABC 7.

In a statement shared on his official Facebook account, reps for Price, 74, confirmed he “experienced a health-related incident.”

His reps added that the politician will continue to be monitored “out of an abundance of caution.”

Price was “deeply grateful for the tremendous outpouring love and support” he received from the community, the statement read, adding that he “extends special thanks” to the Los Angeles Fire Department and medical professionals who “provided immediate care.” He also thanked Bass and fellow council members Heather Hutt and Hugo Soto-Martinez, “who quickly stepped forward to assist him.”

According to UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), long before Bass became the mayor of Los Angeles, she was a nurse and a physician assistant.

In 2010, Bass became the first physician assistant to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served six terms until 2022, when she was elected mayor, per the Physician Assistant History Society.

Price remains committed to serving the people of Los Angeles, per the statement shared on his Facebook page.

“Today’s incident will not lessen his dedication to serving families, strengthening neighborhoods, and working alongside the community to build a brighter future for all Angelenos,” the post concluded. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Price has been representing Los Angeles’s Ninth District since 2013. He was charged with multiple public corruption counts in 2023 after it was alleged that he voted to approve projects for developers who were working on a company owned by his wife, ABC 7 reported. 

His wife allegedly profited $800,000 from the deal, according to KTLA.

Price is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 3 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial, per ABC 7.