An unforgettable day of protecting and serving.

“It was a little chaotic.”

This heart-racing heroic rescue was captured on a Newark police officer’s body-cam.

“The only thing going through my mind is getting that child to breathe again,” said Officer Shaquille Johnson.

Rookie officers Malikul Aziz and Shaquille Johnson quickly responded to a North Ward residence on a call of a child not breathing after possibly drowning in a family kiddie pool Sunday.

After bypassing frantic family members, who actually tossed the child into the officer’s arms, the boys in blue immediately sprung into action.

“She was gasping for air. actually unresponsive it appeared to be in her father’s arms. Her eyes had rolled back,” said Johnson.

“We had to turn the baby around, and we had to make sure the air passageways were not obstructed and that’s when we had to apply the taps on the back of the baby,” said Aziz.

For what officers say seemed like an hour took all of a minute of administering first aid, to hear the child finally let out a cry.

“A father has to be real careful with kids cause anything could happen in a minute,” said the child’s father, who asked not to be identified.

He said his little girl was in the kiddie pool and the water came up to her belly button. 

He says he turned his back for a moment – that’s when his baby girl went face down in the water. 

He says his daughter was wearing these two swim rings at the time of the incident and is convinced that’s what caused his girl to lose her balance and nearly drown.

“They really act like heroes,” the father says of the two police officers. “They’re heroes.”

The modest pair, who were cool under all pressure, don’t see themselves as heroes. They say they’re just doing their jobs.

“It’s going to hold a special place for us,” said Johnson, “but we get paid to do this.”

Newark police say the officers, both serving only 7 months so far, will be given commendations for their actions.

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