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At 7:35 a.m., Sergeant J. Cosme was working in the area of 2nd Street and Sussex Avenue when he was approached by a man who was screaming for help because a baby inside his vehicle could not breathe, Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said.
A woman in the vehicle’s backseat reported that her child was choking on a peppermint candy, Miranda said. Sergeant Cosme performed the Heimlich Maneuver, thrusting the baby’s abdomen and firmly patting her back. These steps cleared the baby’s airway, causing her to begin breathing, Miranda said.
Sergeant Cosme then transported the child and her mother to University Hospital in his marked Newark Police vehicle. The child is reportedly in stable condition.
“I can only imagine the incredible relief this baby’s mother felt after witnessing Sergeant Cosme spring into action to help her choking one-year-old daughter to breathe,” Miranda said. “I commend Sergeant Cosme for his quick thinking and for immediately deploying his Heimlich Maneuver training to free the child’s airway and to protect her from further distress.
To view bodycam footage of the incident, click here.
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