When law enforcement receives 911 calls, they do not always have a lot of information to work off of. Even when they arrive quickly, the situation may have already changed.
Since calls are often very fluid, officers have to follow information as they get it to see where it will lead them.
Reports of a Distressed Woman
In Oakland County, Michigan, the County Sheriff's Office received a call from two neighbors, stating a woman was in their bushes and knocking on the doors. When deputies reached the area, the woman was gone.
They soon received a call from the Waldon Middle School, who reported that they had a woman knocking on their doors. Police arrived to find a 37-year-old woman frantic and adamant that someone was chasing her.
According to ABC12, while the deputies spoke with the woman, she mentioned that she had an infant son.
Searching for the Baby
Deputies noticed she had burns on her pants, a sign she had recently been walking in the wildland areas. Deputies conducted a thorough search of the area between where the original 911 calls came from and her home.
After a 30 minute search, officers found the little boy. He was lying next to a creek by himself.
“Thankfully, deputies were able to determine a baby was missing, which triggered an immediate large response and search, and they were able to locate the child. Their quick work avoided what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.”
Sheriff Michael Bouchard
A Successful Search
The little one was found face down by the creek. He was hypothermic, and his sleeper was wet. However, he did not seem to have any life-threatening injuries.
The baby boy went to the hospital for observation and will be released into Michigan Child Protective Services' custody.
Police are investigating what happened before handing the case over to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. But they have issued an arrest warrant for the mother, accusing her of child abuse.
However, there are still many questions left to answer in this case.
Powers of Observation
In some cases, law enforcement has very little information to go on Officers have to assess the situation and deduce what is actually going on.
Thankfully, these officers used their observation skills, which led them quickly to find this child, who would likely not have survived if left out in the elements.