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Life Saving Incident

August 15, 2021
California
Alameda
Livermore

A San Pablo police officer who saved a baby while off-duty in Livermore, insists that he's no hero. "I just feel like I was at the right place at the right time. I think that anybody in that situation would have done the same thing," said Officer Gilbert Troche. Cellphone video taken by the officer's 12-year-old daughter shows Officer Troche helping a mother whose infant son isn't breathing on the side of the road. "Oh my god! He's choking!" the girl exclaims. It happened on Aug. 15 after Officer Troche and his family had watched an action-hero movie. They were driving home when his wife saw a woman in distress. "There was a lady on the side of the road, outside of her vehicle holding her baby in her arms and she appeared to be very distraught," Officer Troche said. Officer Troche got out and asked if she needed help. "She basically handed me the baby," he said. "I noticed the baby's face was blue." He looks calm on the video, but in reality he says he was "almost as scared as she was at the time." Officer Troche said, "I leaned the baby over and tried a couple of back blows to try to clear the airway." But it didn't seem to work. At one point, the officer turned toward his wife and mouthed the words "call 911." The officer said he didn't that out loud because he didn't want an already stressful situation even more so. He told the mother to do a finger sweep of the baby's mouth, and after some more back blows, "The baby coughed, vomited and started crying. The mother immediately grabbed the child from me and she embraced her son. The officer's kids saw it all from the back seat. "They talked about it all day long, which was awesome," Officer Troche said with a laugh. "That was the best feeling." San Pablo police Capt. Brian Bubar lauded his officer for the deed saying Officer Troche "was compelled into action, and we're really grateful that he was there." Officer Troche's been with the police department since 2013. He's a field training officer known for making key arrests for drugs, guns and stolen cars. Officer Troche was named "Officer of the Year" in 2018. But he noted, "This is awesome this is better." The baby's parents declined to be interviewed. But a relative told KTVU that they were "super grateful" and really happy that this officer saved the little boy's life.

The history of law enforcement in the United States is a long and wonderful history of bravery. This website is dedicated to documenting the heroic deeds of law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have either given or risked their lives to save others. There are many stories of bravery and heroism for many who are considered first responders. However, it is those in law enforcement who are most likely to be the first to arrive upon a location requiring life saving acts engaging dangerous hostage takers, running into burning buildings/vehicles, providing first aid to seriously injured victims, saving near drowning victims and much more are what the women and men of law enforcement do routinely and at many times, great peril to their own safety.
It is our mission to document the history of lives saved by those dedicated women and men in law enforcement. To share with others the dramatic deeds of those individuals who are the first, first responders. It is so important for our citizens to understand that law "enforcement" is not always about enforcing the law but rather being there when our citizens need us.
It is to this end we are dedicated to promoting documentation regarding the history of law enforcement and the lives they have saved.