BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) – Police in Boulder, Colorado, answered an unusual call when a toddler got her head stuck between two bars of a railing at an apartment complex.
A creative solution was needed to free the child quickly and safely, so Sgt. Michael Marquez and Officer Jordan Kyle used a battering ram to pry the bars apart just enough for the girl to get free.
Police shared bodycam video of the encounter, which shows the officers trying to keep the toddler calm. The footage also shows the relief of the mother once her daughter was freed.
“As kids we’ve all done things that seem like a good idea but that we come to regret. That was the situation here where this toddler accidentally got her head stuck. Thankfully Sgt Marquez & Officer Kyle found a quick & clever way to safely free her,” the police department said in a tweet.
“I was crying and whining. The police come and got my head out with a big heavy tool,” the 3-year-old said. “Well right now it feels oh so nice!”
The toddler’s mother, who didn’t want to share her name, was scared and worried, as any mother would be when their child is stuck and there’s nothing you can do about it.
“I was quite scared, my stomach was in my throat, but I knew I had to be calm and let her know there was nothing to be scared of. It would be taken care of,” the child’s mother said. “The officers were amazing actually. They gave her stickers and a badge to make her feel special. I’m just really glad they were able to put us at so much ease, my daughter especially. I mean they were great with her.”
Sgt. Marquez of the Boulder Police said he was about a block or two away when he learned of the girl’s predicament.
“I wanted to see if I could help. I could see she was panicking and it looked like her family and other people around her were stressed out and panicking. I decided I wanted to help,” said Marquez.
“It was a great day,” he added. “It felt good to help her, help her family. People around her were having a tough time, we were making it better for them.”
Officer Kyle said they spoke softly and calmly to keep the little girl from getting too scared and let her know what they were doing the entire time. He said she actually assisted them in getting her head freed.
“My sergeant came up and had the ram we use for knocking doors open, and he had a great idea of putting it perfectly in between the railing. We were able to pry that railing apart just enough to have her take her head out,” Kyle said.
“It just reminds you what you’re doing is the right thing, reminds you why you got in the job. With all the negativity and whatnot, just little calls like that give you a refresher, makes you happy for what you do. Helping out folks, getting the bad guy, helping out 2- to 3-year-olds with heads stuck in fences. Every day is different. That’s the nice thing about this job. You might put on the same uniform and get in the same car, but calls are going to be different, experiences are going to be different. It’s the best job I ever had,” Kyle said.
“Don’t be afraid to call the police,” he added. “If you’re thinking, ‘Maybe I should call the police,’ call the police. We’re happy to come on out and help you in any way we can.”