HOUSTON (KPRC) – Authorities in Texas say a police officer’s training and quick thinking helped him save the life of a 9-month-old baby who was choking on a piece of plastic.
Spring Branch ISD Police Chief Larry Baimbridge says the crying of a baby isn’t his favorite sound, but one August night in Houston, it was the sound of a miracle.
“Not my favorite sound in the world, but at that moment, he’s breathing. The baby is crying, it’s breathing,” Baimbridge said.
Officer Juan Pedraza relied on his training and instincts to rescue a baby boy, approximately 9 months in age, who was choking on a piece of plastic outside of Cedar Brook Elementary School. The Aug. 30 incident was captured on his body camera video.
“Before the days of body cams, these things were not well documented. You’d hear about them, but you didn’t see them. Now, you can see them,” Baimbridge said.
What the camera shows is Pedraza working relentlessly for minutes as he attempts to dislodge a piece of plastic in the boy’s throat. The officer jumped into action with hesitation.
“You don’t get a chance to call time-out. You don’t get a chance to get on your phone and say, ‘What do I do? The baby is choking.’ You better know beforehand, and you better take action right away because every single second counts,” Baimbridge said.
Pedraza was honored for his heroics by the district last week. He only recently transferred to nights, so he could spend more time with his own baby boy. That change has already saved a life.
“You were right where you are supposed to be. You were on night shift, and you needed to be on night shift. You are where you need to be at the right moment,” Baimbridge said.
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