VIDEO: Indiana Officer Saves Toddler's Life First Day On The Job
Video: Indiana Officer Saves Toddler's Life First Day On The Job
Officer Richard Mayer and his fellow officers had just sat down to lunch when a woman rushed over holding her 15-month-old daughter, who was choking.

An Indiana officer saved a child's life his first day on the job.
Around noon on Friday, Officer Richard Mayer and his fellow officers had just sat down to lunch at a Chik-fil-A restaurant in Hobart, IN, when Melanie Hassee rushed over holding her 15-month-old daughter Charlotte in her arms. She said she wasn't breathing and thought she was choking, reports WGN .
"She looked purple in the face," Officer Mayer said. "I grabbed her. Officer Ramos was next to me and flipped her over. We did the back slaps, three to four of them. It was an apple that was dislodged from her throat and we knew she was breathing again."
"I'm just so thankful he was there at the right time," Melanie says. "I don't think this was a coincidence that this was his first day. I think he was meant to be somebody who protects and who saves and I'm just so thankful for him."
Officer Mayer says he has a 1-year-old daughter of his own and has actually used this same baby Heimlich Maneuver on her before.
More Patrol

Streamlight Marks 15 Years of Support for Breast Cancer Research Foundation With $20k Donation
In its 15th year of supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Streamlight donated $20,000 to help in the fight against cancer. Donations were generated through the sale of special Wedge XT models and other pink flashlights.
Read More →
Police-Led Mental Health Charity Expands to Include Veterans
Talk To Me Post Tour (TTMPT), a non-profit organization that has been providing peer-support programs and professional psychological support for first responders, is now expanding services to military veterans.
Read More →
WakeMed Campus Police Officer Killed in Hospital Shooting
A WakeMed Campus Police Officer died after being shot in the lobby of the emergency department at a North Carolina hospital over the weekend.
Read More →
Video Shows Barricaded Suspect Fall Through Ceiling and Into SWAT Custody
Deputies in Indian River County, Florida, apprehended a suspect after he fell through the ceiling with SWAT members waiting below. The sheriff’s department released video of the apprehension.
Read More →From the Show Floor: T2 Systems
Learn about T2 Systems and its electronic parking enforcement solutions. Retired Chief John Holland outlines the benefits of using such a system to manage parking enforcement.
Read More →
Texas Police Department Adds Reconview Tower
A Texas police chief shares how the Decatur Police Department will use its new Reconview observation tower.
Read More →From the Show Floor: Traka
Join POLICE as we visit with Steve Atkinson of Traka and learn about the company’s asset management cabinets and key lockers.
Read More →
Team Wendy Shares New DREW Data During Personal Armour Systems Symposium
Team Wendy shared data about DREW, a biofidelic helmet-test rig built to simulate real head-to-ground falls and capture both linear and rotational head motion, during the recent Personal Armour Systems Symposium in Belgium.
Read More →
2026 US Police and Fire Championships to Unite First Responders in San Diego for 59th Annual Event
The 2026 US Police and Fire Championships, featuring more than 35 Olympic-style events and new competitions, will return to San Diego, California.
Read More →
FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends to Host Live Audience for National First Responders Day
In honor of National First Responders Day, FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends will host a live audience made up of first responders and their families. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel have been invited to attend the live program.
Read More →
