Unresponsive baby rescued by Sterling Heights officer
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Sterling Heights police officer did not hesitate to save the life of a 18-month-old baby who stopped breathing. Now, he is being awarded.
Newly released body camera footage shows Officer Wendall Potts administrating chest compressions to the unresponsive child at a home goods store off 15 Mile Road.
"C'mon buddy, c'mon buddy," he said in the footage.
Potts, who has been a police officer for seven years, can be seen lifting the boy from the cashier's table onto the floor, then checking his vital signs.
"The worst kind of run you can get (is) an infant/baby not breathing," said Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski.
The 911 call came at around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, after a customer walked into Dream Home Collections begging for help.
"(The) guy came from outside with his son, and he said ‘help me please, my son is dying,'" said Mary Shabilla, an employee at the store.
The baby's family members can be heard praying in Arabic in the footage, as the officer resuscitates him.
According to police, the child has a pre-existing heart condition. But due to a language barrier, that information was not known at the time of the incident.
Fortunately, employees at Dream Home Collections were able to help translate.
"We speak three languages – we speak English, Chaldean, and Arabic," Shabilla said.
Firefighters soon arrived to assist as well, carrying the child into the ambulance.
"Our officers closed down every single intersection from 15 and Ryan up to Troy Beaumont Hospital," Dwojakowski said. "Thank god the child made it and he's doing well. Just a really good outcome."
Now officer Potts and the others who helped save the child will be honored by the city later this month.
"I’m sure he doesn’t want the recognition or the award ceremony. His reward is that baby living. That's all he needs," Dwojakowski said. "But hey, if there's someone that wants to give us an award for doing something like that, that’s great."