Wisconsin police officers recently saved a choking child while they were making an unrelated traffic stop on the evening of February 5.
According to the Beloit Police Department, two new officers Antonio Richardson and Anthony Love were conducting a routine traffic stop on the city’s west side when a woman came running to them for help carrying a choking child in her arms.
“Officer Richardson saw the woman was carrying a 2-year-old little girl who was not breathing. He was told she may be choking on pizza she was eating,” a Facebook post from the department read.
Officer Richardson then performed back slaps to the child while Officer Love called for EMS.
After a few minutes, the food was dislodged, and the girl began to cry.
“Within a minute or two, the little girl began moaning, and then crying. It is not often crying from a kiddo is a beautiful sound, but it sure was in this case,” Sergeant Ryan Flanagan wrote.
The babysitter who was watching the child that evening said she panicked when the child began choking and ran the officers after seeing police lights outside of her window.
“Officer Richardson utilized training that we provide all our officers,” Beloit Police Chief Andre Sayles said. “(The officers) stepped up as guardians of the community.”
Chief Sayles added that the department recently partnered with Blackhawk Technical College to provide CPR and first aid training to officers.
According to officials, both officers involved graduated from the Recruit Academy at Blackhawk Technical College early last year.
“I thank God for putting us in the right place at the right time,” Officer Anthony Love wrote on his Facebook.
The department also encouraged people — especially parents and babysitters — to learn how to recognize and treat a choking child, and thanked the officers again for their actions.
“We are very thankful Officers Richardson and Love knew what to do and were able to help this little one. This is the truest sense of being a guardian. Moving from a traffic contact to lifesaving in the matter of five seconds. Nice work, guys,” Flanagan concluded.
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin.
