BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — Boulder police answered an unusual call at an apartment complex where a toddler got her head stuck between two bars of a railing.
A creative solution was needed to free the child quickly and safely, so Sgt. Michael Marquez and Officer Jordan Kyle used a battering ram to pry the bars apart just enough for the girl to get free.
BPD shared bodycam video of the encounter showing the friendliness of the officers toward the toddler and the relief of the mother once her daughter was freed.
“As kids we’ve all done things that seem like a good idea but that we come to regret. That was the situation here where this toddler accidentally got her head stuck. Thankfully Sgt Marquez & Officer Kyle found a quick & clever way to safely free her,” the police department said in a tweet.
“I was crying and whining. The police come and got my head out with a big heavy tool,” the 3-year-old said. “Well right now it feels oh so nice!”
The toddler’s mother was scared and worried, as any mother would be when their child is stuck and there’s nothing you can do about it.
“I was quite scared, my stomach was in my throat, but I knew I had to be calm and let her know there was nothing to be scared of. It would be taken care of,” the child’s mother said. “The officers were amazing actually. They gave her stickers and a badge to make her feel special. I’m just really glad they were able to put us at so much ease, my daughter especially. I mean they were great with her.”
The Boulder officers who jumped into action and helped free the girl as quickly as possible
“I was literally a block or two away. I wanted to see if I could help. I could see she was panicking and it looked like her family and other people around her were stressed out and panicking. I decided I wanted to help,” Marquez said.
“I think it just comes with experience on the job because if you’re spun up showing your nervous or panicking, that might make them panic even more. Remaining calm is important. It just melted my heart. It was a great day. It felt good to help her, help her family, people around her were having a tough time, we were making it better for them,” Marquez said.
Kyle said they spoke softly and calmly to keep the little girl from getting too scared and let her know what they were doing the entire time. He said she actually assisted them in getting her head freed.
“My sergeant came up and had the ram we use for knocking doors open and he had a great idea of putting it perfectly in between the railing. We were able to pry that railing apart just enough to have her take her head out,” Kyle said.
“It just reminds you what you’re doing is the right thing, reminds you why you got in the job. With all the negativity and what not, just little calls like that give you a refresher, makes you happy for what you do. Helping out folks, getting the bad guy, helping out 2 to 3-year-olds with head stuck in fences. Every day is different. That’s the nice thing about this job. You might put on the same uniform and get in the same car, but calls are going to be different, experiences are going to be different. It’s the best job I ever had,” Kyle said.
“Don’t be afraid to call the police. If you’re thinking maybe I should call the police, call the police. We’re happy to come on our and help you in any way we can,” Kyle said.