Oakland Police Officer Saves Newborn Baby's Life With CPR
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- An Oakland police officer saved a newborn baby's life on Tuesday afternoon by performing CPR on the infant, police said Wednesday.
Officer Gregory Palomo had just started his patrol shift at 3:22 p.m. Tuesday when he received a report that a woman was screaming and crying for medical attention in the area of Sixth Street near Laney College, according to police.
Palomo located the woman and sitting in the front seat of a vehicle and discovered she had just given birth to a newborn, police said.
"She was flagging down citizens to call 911 for her and requesting medical [assistance]" said Palomo. "At that time we didn't know exactly what for."
Palomo immediately noticed that the newborn wasn't breathing so he initiated lifesaving medical aid by conducting CPR and the infant responded by starting to cry and breathe, according to police.
"All I could think was, I'm a father of two myself," said Palomo. "I could just think that I just really needed to get that baby breathing, you know. I couldn't imagine if a parent had to lose their child at birth."
Full interview: Officer Palomo on saving newborn's life:
Palomo said EMTs arrived shortly after and took the baby to the hospital where he and the mother appear to be in good health.
Oakland police said Palomo's actions saved the newborn's life.
"He saved a life! This little baby is living, is going to have a full life because of this man," Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said. In a statement issued earlier in the day, Kirkpatrick said "I am proud of the work my officers do every day. This is just one example of the extraordinary work that is done."
The mother appears to have been living in a car with another man in front of a motel at 6th and Oak, according to the motel manager. Police said the mother and newborn were transported to a hospital, where they are both reported to be doing well.
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