An Ansonia police officer is being hailed a hero after saving a choking, 8-day-old baby.
It was Wednesday afternoon, just after feeding time when Jayni Alvarez and her fiance, William Perez heard strange noises coming from the crib of their daughter Jaynie Marie.
"I never seen a child red-purple with blue lips just not breathing, never, " said Alvarez .
Their 8-day-old daughter was choking on her formula. Alvarez called 911.
"Honestly, I thought she was gonna die. Her father and I thought it was the last time we were gonna see her because she was not gonna make it," Alvarez said.
Fortunately, Officer Joseph Jackson was only a block away when he heard the call on his radio.
“I drove my patrol vehicle and i didn’t even take every stair,” said the 25-year veteran of the force from the Alvarez home on North Main Street. “I just jumped up and walked into the house. It was very disturbing.”
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Jackson began gingerly giving the young child chest compressions using just two fingers.
"All of a sudden foam came out of the mouth and then the baby woke. The eyes came open and that was it," said Officer Jackson.
Alvarez says she has met the officer, known as “Action Jackson” before, but now considers him family.
"You usually just don't see people who care so much the way he did and I saw it in his face. That's why I'm so grateful for him," Alvarez said.
