Police officer praised for reviving baby during traffic stop in suburban Detroit

DET Aerial view of Detroit on April 16, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. AFP FILE PHOTO

WARREN, Michigan — A suburban Detroit police officer is being praised as a hero for saving the life of an 18-month-old boy after he stopped a car for speeding.

Warren Police Department Officer Brenden Fraser was watching for distracted drivers Tuesday when he stopped a Chevrolet Camaro going an estimated 75-80 mph (120-129 kilometers per hour).

“We got a baby in here dying!” the boy’s mother told him.

Fraser saw the baby was turning blue and his eyes had rolled back.

“I look inside, and there’s a child that’s having some kind of medical emergency when the uncle hands him over to me,” said Fraser. “He had spit and all types of saliva around his mouth. It looked like he was maybe choking, so I put him on my forearm, and I administered a couple of back blows to him when I felt some saliva and vomit fall onto my arm.”

That got the boy breathing again.

“Watching it now, it’s kind of overwhelming, but in the moment there’s really not much thought other than relying on the training,” Fraser said.

Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said the boy has been released from a hospital and is home with family. He praised Fraser for his quick thinking and action.

“Officer Fraser’s actions on this traffic stop are nothing short of heroic,” he said in a statement. “This incident shows that police work and traffic stops are not always about writing tickets or making arrests.”

The family has not been publicly identified.

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