Page 64 - FOP May 2019 Magazine

rd isric officers ae secia aser deier
■ BY DAN CAMPANA
The 3rd District experienced an Easter morning unlike most when Johnny Stokes walked into the Grand Crossing station around 7 a.m. in search of help because his daughter had gone into labor in his truck.
From there, several officers jumped in to help the young woman give birth to a baby girl in front of the district’s headquarters on South Cottage Grove Avenue.
“We just kind of coached her through, told her to stay calm and breathe,” Officer Lawrence Nickerson explained to reporters at a press conference later that same day.
The baby, later named Ava, emerged with the umbilical cord around her neck, but Officer Sean Hamil and others, includ- ing Officer Tasha Flippin, quickly removed it. Baby Ava cried and showed other signs
of life, to the relief of the CPD crew who, for a few minutes, played the roles of doctors and nurses in a labor and delivery ward.
Officers held the newborn until para- medics arrived at the district to transport mother and baby to Comer Children’s Hos- pital. Both were said to be healthy and in good spirits after the curbside delivery on one of the holiest days of the year.
“It’s a great way to start Easter,” Offi- cer Geraldine Hutchinson said during the press conference, adding that this was the third time she has assisted in the birth of a child while on duty.
While talking to the media, Stokes, beaming with joy and thankfulness, heaped praise on CPD officers for their assistance because he recognized things could have turned out worse without officers stepping up to help.
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“They are the true MVPs of this because they did an excellent job,” Stokes said of the officers.
The 3rd District relished its moment in the spotlight while also welcoming a new member to its family.
“Baby Ava has over 300 aunts and uncles waiting to meet her in the 3rd District,” the district posted on Twitter the day after Ava’s arrival.
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64 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2019