DETROIT – Parents ran into a Detroit Police Department precinct frantic for help when they realized their child was having a medical emergency.
The couple, Erica Wilson and Thomas Williams rushed their daughter, Sevyn, to the department’s 5th precinct. They left their home in such a hurry that Williams was just wearing shoes and jean shorts. Wilson was just in shoes, jeans and a bra.
“I observed a gentleman carrying an unresponsive baby in a hurried fashion to the front of the building,” Officer Kevin Treasvant said.
Treasvant said his own paternal instincts kicked in, along with his training.
“We can’t lose this baby,” he said. “Not on our watch.”
Body camera video shows Treasvant attending to the unresponsive little girl. He checked her airway and performed chest compressions while other officers paged for help.
Sevyn had a fever of 103 degrees. She was still unresponsive after CPR so the girl was transported in the back of a department vehicle and rushed to St. John’s Hospital.
“We have an unresponsive child,” Detroit officer Eric McCombs said.
On the way to the hospital, Sevyn started breathing again, but only slightly.
“She was having a hard time breathing,” officer Ruiz-Cruz said. “I could see her eyes opening and looking at me. She was whining a bit so I knew that she was in pain.”
The department worked together to make sure Sevyn arrived at the hospital safely.
“Our fellow officers, it was a team effort, they blocked traffic to ensure that the child could make it to the hospital and get medical attention,” officer Eric McCombs said.
Sevyn is OK thanks to quick thinking and lifesaving actions taken by the officers.
“It’s a good feeling. We saved the baby. The baby’s healthy that’s the whole important thing,” Officer Ruiz-Cruz said.
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