PRESTON, Idaho — A Preston police officer was honored after officials said he stepped in during an off-duty family moment and helped save a choking 9-month-old baby.
According to the Preston Citizen / Herald Journal, Preston Police Officer Jared Griffin received a life-saving award at a Preston City Council meeting after an April 30 incident at the West Side school gym in Dayton.
The report said Griffin had just ended his shift and had gone to pick up his son when he saw a father trying to help a 9-month-old child who was choking on pizza. The baby was turning blue, according to the report.
When the father handed the child to Griffin, the officer used his training and applied the Heimlich maneuver. The food was dislodged, and the baby began crying and breathing normally again, the report said.
Recognized for quick action
Preston Police Chief Dan McCammon presented Griffin with the award during the city council meeting, according to the local report.
“This is why the Police Department would like to recognize officer Griffin for his quick thinking and efforts to save a small child,” McCammon said, according to the Preston Citizen / Herald Journal.
The report said McCammon had spoken with the infant’s parents and that the baby was in good health. The parents asked that the child’s name not be released.
For ThinBlueNews readers, the story is a reminder that lifesaving police work does not always happen on a radio call or at a crime scene. Sometimes it happens in a school gym, after a shift is already over, when training meets a parent’s worst few seconds.
In this case, officials say Griffin’s quick response helped turn a terrifying choking emergency into a life saved — and a family able to take their baby home.
Sources and attribution
- Preston Citizen / Herald Journal reported the award, timeline, public-safety details, and Chief Dan McCammon’s remarks.
- The featured image is an original ThinBlueNews editorial graphic. It is not an incident photo and does not depict the child or the gym.
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