'Not today': Off-duty Melvindale police officer saves choking toddler in Dearborn

DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Melvindale off-duty police officer heard his neighbors in a panic and jumped into action to save a little boy who was choking on his food. And his heroic actions were all caught on camera.

Mohamed Hacham hasn't been out of the police academy long. In fact, he's still an officer-in-training with the Melvindale Police Department. Tuesday night, he was off-duty and napping with his police radio nearby at his home in Dearborn when he heard someone screaming.

"It was like a disaster going on. The yelling from the corner to here was so loud with the windows closed, and I was like ‘this is something big,’" Hacham said.

Neighbors gathered around and saw a mother in distress. Hacham had heard the call on the radio and realized he was close, so he and his brother raced toward a screaming crowd.

"I was like wait - this is right outside of my house somewhere," Hacham said. "I got there, I seen the kid. No response, no nothing."

The boy's eyes were rolling into the back of his head and there was no time to think or wait. Hacham took over, delivering back blows to the 2-and-a-half-year-old.

"I flipped the baby over and just began procedure," Hacham said. "I'm just talking to the kid - me and the kid - and I'm just like, no that's not going to happen. Not on my hands. That's not going to happen, not today. I got a response. He started crying, he started coughing up rice and chicken. I was like, there we go."

Not long after, Dearborn Police and an ambulance arrived to take the toddler to the hospital. Today, he's back home in the arms of his grateful father.

"I mean the crying's annoying but compared to yesterday, you seen him, he's fine," Hacham said.

Hacham's actions have earned him credit from his Lieutenant at the Melvindale Police Department.

"It was a bad situation with a perfect outcome - having Hacham right there, a couple of doors down, able to save a child. It's remarkable," Lt Robert Kennaley said. "We're very, very proud of him. He's not going to go anywhere, I'm going to keep him."

Hacham has a bit of advice for anyone. Go online and learn how to do this yourself.

"I'm sure everybody has five minutes. You can go on YouTube - it's a three-minute video, and it will show you exactly what to do," Hacham said.

Lt. Kennaley said he'll be nominating Hacham for a lifesaving award, which he will receive at a future city council meeting.