Hero Police Officer Honored for Helping to Deliver Baby

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — A Westhampton Beach police officer has only been on the force six months — but he's already being honored for his heroism.

Westhampton Beach Police Officer Gennaro DeScalo, who was sworn in to his new post in February, was honored by Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming at a meeting of the full Legislature in Riverside last week.

Fleming, presenting DeScalo with a proclamation, said the officer "responded to the call of a woman in distress," when she began experiencing contractions.

Officer DeScalo, she said, was by himself, since village police officers do not always travel in pairs, when he got the call.

"Thank goodness, he was trained in the Suffolk County Police Academy to deliver babies," Fleming said.

He rushed to the aid of the pregnant woman, who was only "30 weeks along," she said. "Officer DeScalo sucessfully caught the baby and both mom and baby are doing well," she said.

She added, "I want to congratulate you as you start a brilliant career by doing the best thing you can possibly do by helping a baby enter the world. Thank you for your service," she said.