Mom panicked when her baby stopped breathing — but a Michigan cop stepped in just in time

In July 2020, when a Michigan police officer saw a woman panicking after her newborn baby stopped breathing, he knew he had to step in. With his timely intervention and skilled emergency training, Officer Cameron Maciejewski, fortunately, saved the three-week-old from choking to death, the Sterling Heights Police Department had claimed in a now-deleted post. Later, the incredible video of the officer saving the baby girl was shared anonymously by an individual who goes by u/red_tabby on Reddit in June 2025, where the post received an overwhelming response on social media. 

Officer Cameron immediately held the poor baby and began performing back thrusts on her, trying to clear the airway. "Let me see the baby," he said to the child's mother, who was literally going insane, seeing her daughter motionless. The police officer, even in that situation, didn't lose his calm and, realizing the mother's pain, kept reassuring her, "[S]he is still blinking, hold on!" Moments later, luckily, the child's airway was cleared, as she began crying — a clear sign that she was alive. "[S] he is okay. [S]he is crying," the officer said, trying to calm the baby's mother, who was crying continuously.

"If it weren’t for Ofc. Maciejewski’s quick, calm, lifesaving actions, the outcome of this incident could have been tragically different. Not only did the officer save the baby, but the officer also did an outstanding job consoling the family," PEOPLE quoted the department. Recalling the heart-wrenching incident, Maciejewski praised his training and shared with Inside Edition, "If I start freaking out or if I can't handle my self or maintain by cool, then that just escalates everything for the family." This incident reveals why basic medical training is important for police departments. According to the National Library of Medicine, police officers have limited hospital or life-saving knowledge and, in most cases, call for EMS to analyze the situation and take the person to the hospital if needed.

Meanwhile, echoing the sentiments, a person called, u/iIllIiIiIIillIIl commented, "She will have nightmares for the rest of her life. My ex-wife and I have been in this exact situation, and it changes you instantly." u/triple7freak1 wrote, "Damn, listening to the mom was so heartbreaking. Kudos to the cop for saving that little baby." Similarly,  u/maeberry2007 said, "I deeply relate to her panicked need to grab the baby because that's what your instincts SCREAM at you to do despite knowing you need to let someone else fix it. That is hard to fight against."

A user who goes by u/n0b0dycar3s07 on Reddit commented, "The anguish the mother must have been through! The policeman deserves a medal for that. The calm and restraint he showed! Absolute Hero." Another user who goes by u/zerogranger on the platform commented, "If I were a cop, I think this would be the scariest thing. Shootings, etc., are certainly all bad, dealing with violent criminals, etc. But suddenly, literally having the life of another person's baby in your hands." On the other hand, u/misterpewpie revealed, "I have a 2-year-old son, and last week he was eating some snacks and started choking out of nowhere. I immediately grabbed him and took care of it, but that was probably the scariest 5-10 seconds of my life. To all the parents out there, make sure you know exactly what to do in those situations."