Policeman Performs CPR To Save Infant on I-270

Image: Officer James Herman (MCPD)

A Montgomery County police officer is being credited with saving the life of a nine-month-old baby on Sunday afternoon on Interstate 270 after she suffered a seizure.

Officer James Herman was driving home and had pulled over a vehicle on the shoulder of northbound I-270 near the Muddy Branch Road exit. As he spoke with the driver, the grandparents of Kenzlee Mae Cushman pulled their vehicle off the highway and stopped behind his cruiser.

The baby’s grandmother ran toward Herman’s patrol car with Kenzlee in her arms, according to WRC-TV Channel 4. Kenzlee was unresponsive and not breathing, and she had turned ashen in color.

Cradling the girl in his arms, Herman performed CPR, and Kenzlee soon regained consciousness.

“It was amazing how fast the baby came back,” he told Channel 4. “The eyes came back. The baby became responsive, tracking our fingers.”

At this time, a Good Samaritan, who identified himself as an out-of-state firefighter, stopped his vehicle on the side of the road to offer assistance, the police said Monday. As the firefighter attended to Kenzlee, Herman radioed to county dispatchers that fire and rescue personnel were needed at the location. The personnel responded and transported the baby girl to a local hospital.

Media reports later identified the Good Samaritan as Brody Channell, a firefighter from Little Rock, Ark. He had driven to Maryland to attend a ceremony Sunday in Emmitsburg with President Obama to honor fallen firefighters from around the country.

His father, Capt. Dennis A. Channell, was honored at the ceremony, sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Association. The elder Channell died in the line of duty on Feb. 10, 2014, while responding to an EMS call.

On Monday evening, Kenzlee was recovering in a West Virginia hospital, where she previously had heart surgery, Channel 4 reported. Her family lives in Charles Town.

On Sunday, Montgomery County Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Stephen E. Mann, who responded to this incident, stated, “I am told that this child is doing better and only still alive due to the quick actions of Officer Herman” and Channell in providing life-saving help.

Herman is an 11-year veteran of the Montgomery County Police Department and works in the 2nd (Bethesda) District. In a statement, Cmdr. David Falcinelli of the 2nd District said, “I am very proud that Officer Herman was in the right place at the right time to save this infant’s life. He followed his training and his efforts resulted in a positive outcome. He is an excellent representative of the dedication and professionalism that Montgomery County Police officers possess.”