Choking baby saved after cops use pepper spray to get past protective dog, WA cops say

Police officers in Washington saved a baby who was choking after creatively dodging one protective family member.

Walla Walla police officers responded to a 911 call Saturday about a 1 year old choking, according to a news release. When they arrived, the family’s dog met the officers in the front yard, “trying to protect his family amongst the chaos of the medical emergency,” the release said..

“Officers ended up deploying pepper spray to deter the dog and allow them in to help,” according to the release.

After subduing the canine, officers went inside to help the baby, who was also bleeding from their nose and mouth, but they were unsuccessful in clearing the child’s airway, the release said. Officers brought the baby out to a patrol car and headed to a hospital, with one of the officers continuing to help the child, according to the release.

The officers met up with paramedics, who brought the baby inside an ambulance and got the child to breathe, the release said.

The 1 year old was airlifted from a local hospital to a hospital in Spokane, according to a Facebook post from the Walla Walla Police Foundation. After receiving care there, the baby was released, the post said.

The child was choking on a penny and a piece of plastic, according to KXLY.

The next day, officers returned to the family’s home with $250 in gift cards from the Walla Walla Police Foundation Community Care Fund, the post said.

This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Choking baby saved after cops use pepper spray to get past protective dog, WA cops say."