A Grand Forks Police officer helped deliver a baby early Saturday morning while making a call to a residence on the city’s south side.

When officer Michael Ruit arrived at the home about 2:30 a.m., the woman was in the process of giving birth, “the baby was already on her way out,” according to a post on the Police Department’s Facebook page.

listen live watch live

Ruit, who was working alone on patrol, assisted with the completion of the delivery, the post stated.

“He noticed that the baby wasn’t breathing properly,” Patrol Lt. Bill Macki told the Herald on Monday.

With his fingers and a scarf, Ruit cleared the mouth and nose of the baby, who was not making any noise, and stimulated her breathing by rubbing and patting her back, Ruit said in his official police report.

“After a few seconds, the infant began to have an increased breathing effort and eventually started to cry,” Ruit said in the report.

He provided medical assistance to the mother, 24, and baby until the ambulance arrived, he reported. Under direction by paramedics, he clamped and cut the umbilical cord while they took care of the mother and baby, who were later taken by ambulance to Altru Hospital.

Police officers receive basic training, such as CPR, “and some are certified as first responders,” Macki said, but they receive “no special training in the delivery of babies.”

The need for police officers to deliver babies is “very rare,” he said. “In my 23 years here, I’ve only seen this happen three or four times. The last time was a couple years ago.”

It may have been opportune that it was Ruit who responded to the scene, Macki said.

“He has some experience as a paramedic. He was at Altru as an active paramedic before joining our police department.

“Sometimes, the right person with the right talent is at the right place,” Macki said.

The incident was the source of a cheerful message Monday on the Police Department’s Facebook page.

“Congratulations to the mother and her family on the arrival of their new addition,” the post said. “We never know what types of situations are going to be sent our way during the course of our shift!”