A Hayward police officer was mere moments into a recent night shift when he saved a choking baby, the department announced Monday.
Officer Emilio Gonzalez was driving out of the police station parking lot when a family "desperate for help" ran up to his squad car and informed him that their 11-month-old child was choking, police said.
Body cam video released by the police department showed Gonzalez take hold of the baby, flip them face down and pound on their back. Moments later, the baby started to cry and breathe again.
“Her skin was changing color. Her arms were flailing. She was completely limp,” Gonzalez said.
Police said the baby had choked on a tiny rubber band. Paramedics responded to the scene, evaluated the baby and determined that they were OK, police said.
Incredibly, Gonzalez said had just received additional training on how to respond to a choking child the week before the incident happened. He added that he’s a dad himself with a daughter that is about the same age.
“It’s one thing to know what to do, but I was in shock because I have a one-year-old daughter at home,” he said. “So, it was hard for me to have someone else’s baby in my hands.
Local
After Gonzalez’s swift actions, the little girl's family expressed their deepest gratitude.
“They were very emotional. The father was hugging me," he said. "The baby was hugging me. It was a little emotional. I’m just glad they got to go home with their baby and she didn’t have to go to the hospital.”
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
