Brave cop rushed onto highway to save runaway boy almost hit by SUV — but it was his message to boy's parents that hit deep
Strong observation skills and the ability to act quickly might help a person in the most difficult situations. A cop, James Shield, found himself in one such situation as well when he saw a kid running on a highway. The child was also just seconds away from getting hit by an SUV when the cop jumped into action and saved his life. A chilling video of the incident was caught on a dash camera and shared on the North Port Police Department's Facebook page. The officers were able to take the child back to his family safely, per PEOPLE.
Sheild saw the child running on Highway 41 while patrolling in a police car. He immediately turned around to get to the child. In the meantime, he also honked and turned on his lights to let other drivers know about the situation. The child had managed to come over to the other side of the road and was running over a grassy area. Sheild then got out of the car and ran behind the child to get him out of the situation unharmed. He had also informed the police department about the situation. "I've got a small child running down the road in front of Lowe's. Just almost got hit by a car," he told his department.
"I want to emphasize the parents in this case did everything that they could to prevent an occurrence like this, but unfortunately, the child was able to manipulate the safeguards and get out of the home," a spokesperson explained. "It happens. Please provide grace for this family. This was a very terrifying time for them. We are incredibly thankful that the child was safe." The child faced developmental delays and had managed to get out of his house in an unexpected way. Nonetheless, he was completely safe and was able to get back to his family. The department shared that they offered many tracking devices and services for vulnerable populations through Project Lifesaver and would be glad to help anyone in a difficult situation.
People appreciated the officer's quick action and the department's message in the comments section of the video. Lindsay Hickman wrote, "Some people really needed to hear this. Thank you for that. You can only try so many locks and codes before these smart kids figure out a way around it! I have an autistic, eloping nephew and I’m very thankful that the North Port Police Department helped out in his case. I called my sister the lockdown queen. But he still somehow found a way because he is so smart!"
Deshane Billings commented, "This community cares and has come a long way since 2011. I feel safe for my family living here. That poor kid had to have been so scared. I get it that things like this happen and the community understands situations like this. Great job." Stacey Clark shared, "My special needs sister lives with us and we registered with NPPD's SNAP program. We are so thankful for a program like this, so first responders are aware of the circumstances, should we need to call them." Adriana Francis remarked, "What a graceful post. Thank you to the NPPD. Parents and caregivers of special needs people don’t have it easy at all."
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