SFPD recruit helps save infant’s life

An off-duty San Francisco police recruit officer helped a mother and her infant son, possibly saving the infant’s life, earlier this month in a San Leandro mall parking lot, San Francisco police said.

At about 4 p.m. on Dec. 13, the off-duty recruit officer, Ricky Williams, was shopping at Bayfair Center at 15555 E. 14th St. in San Leandro, police said.

While in the parking lot, Williams noticed a woman crying and holding what appeared to be a lifeless baby in her arms, according to police.

When he asked the woman if she needed help, the woman said that her 2-month-old son had stopped breathing and was turning blue.

The mother handed her infant son to Williams, who then began performing CPR chest compressions on the child as the mother performed rescue breathing on him in the backseat of her car, police said.

After a friend called 911 and the mother and Williams performed CPR, the child eventually began showing signs of life and began crying.

Police then arrived along with medical crews and the child was taken to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland for treatment.

Williams is a member of the 247th Police Academy Class and is scheduled to graduate sometime in January.

Police Chief Greg Suhr said in a statement:

“Recruit Officer Williams’ immediate response is exactly what I expect from our officers and those training to become San Francisco’s finest. … Recruit Williams applied his training and his prompt action helped save this infant’s life.”