PHOENIX — A Mesa police officer was in the right place at the right time last month to help a mother whose baby wasn’t breathing.
Video shows Officer Shaquille Perez approached by a family at a light rail stop whose young boy had lost consciousness on July 23.
“I hear screaming and when I peep out this way from the other side where the train is at, mom comes out screaming for help,” Perez said.
A Mesa Police Officer was dealing with a sleeping, non complaint passenger on the light-rail. Suddenly, a distressed mother brought her baby to him because he had stopped breathing. Here’s Axon footage of the incident. #TheMesaWay #leadersinpublicsafety #police @CITYOFMESA pic.twitter.com/J68jSR1HZI
— Mesa Police Dept. (@MesaPD) August 30, 2023
Perez was at the stop to deal with a sleeping, non-compliant light rail passenger but his priorities changed instantly.
The mother handed her child to Perez, who was eventually approached by a bystander who was a retired paramedic.
The Good Samaritan placed the child in the back of Perez’s cruiser and he started breathing again.
Paramedics arrived to evaluate the child, who Mesa Police said is safe.
“It is an amazing feeling to know that I was able to intervene and help and potentially save that baby’s life,” Perez said.
