A police officer with the Sterling Heights Police Department in Michigan is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of a choking infant. A family called 911 after their three-month-old daughter started choking on milk and lost consciousness. As Officer Cameron Maciejewski pulled up to their home in his squad car, he was rushed by the frantic family in the street.
The mother was screaming and crying as she handed the child over to Maciejewski. He kept his calm and tried to reassure the family that everything was going to be okay. He took the infant and performed back thrusts until the obstruction was cleared from her throat.
"Oh, there you go," Maciejewski said. "She's crying."
The baby was taken to the hospital by the fire department as a precaution.
"If it wasn't for Ofc. Maciejewski's quick, calm, lifesaving actions, the outcome of this incident could have been tragically different," the police department said in a statement. "Not only did the officer save the baby, but the officer did an outstanding job consoling the family."
The incident was captured by the dashboard camera on Maciejewski's squad car.
"Talk about a heartwarming video. I'm so proud of my officer. He did just a great job, and we're very proud of him," Sterling Heights police Chief Dale Dwojakowski said. "When a baby isn't breathing, it's stressful enough, but to arrive on scene and have the entire family run up to him -- he knows it's bad and he's calming them down while providing medical attention to the infant."
Photo: WJBK-TV