Culver City Cop Praised For Saving Choking Baby Who Stopped Breathing

CULVER CITY (CBSLA) – A woman says her 9-month-old baby wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for the quick actions of a Culver City officer.

Culver City police Officer Brian Cappell said he was one street away from where he needed to be on March 22.

Body camera video shows him running toward a little girl named Aria, who flagged him down and directed him to where her sister Harley was choking on a baby snack.

Cappell arrived to find the baby's mother holding Harley, who wasn't crying and had blood in her mouth.

"It always makes you nervous, but it's one of those things. But your training just kicks in," Cappell said.

Right away, Cappell flipped the baby over and started striking her on the back.

"OK, come on baby. You're all right. OK, she's crying now. She's getting air," he said.

The officer heard the cries and breathed a sigh of relief. Paramedics soon arrived and took over.

"As soon as we heard that cry, it was like an angel. It was like God sent his angel through him," said Harley's mother, Janet Lockridge.

Harley's mom says words can't express how thankful she is to Cappell for saving her daughter's life. They saw each other the next day.

"I asked him, I said, 'Can I just hug you?' And I burst into tears and his first reaction was, 'Can I hold her?'" Lockridge said.

On Monday night,  Cappell, Harley and her family were reunited once again at the Culver City council meeting, where the officer was honored for his heroic actions.

"I've been here 19 years and I've never experienced something like this before," he said.