North Haven Officer Is Family To Little Girl He Saved 4 Years Ago

NORTH HAVEN, CT — Four years after a near tragic event, North Haven Police Detective Michael Harton is family to the little girl he saved that night at the Cinemark Movie theater in North Haven.

On March 3, 2019, Harton was working detail at Cinemark on Universal Drive when a woman rushed out of a movie theater with a newborn baby who wasn’t breathing. Harton immediately stepped into action.

"He took the baby from the mother and performed life-saving measures reviving the infant," police said in a statement at the time. “We are proud of our hard working, dedicated officers who are there to serve our community."

Harton was presented with a Meritorious Service Award by the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut in June 2019 for going “above and beyond” in the line of duty with his life-saving actions.

The story, however, doesn’t end there.

Nicole Brown said that ever since the day Harton saved her daughter, Eimaan “Tooka” Buchanan, he has remained a constant in her life. Brown said they asked him to be her godfather and he “gladly accepted.”

“Our families are now extended and connected by what could have been a tragedy,” Brown said. “Tooka is a very smart 4-year-old, she is funny and says the darnedest things. The lack of oxygen had no lasting effects. She is Uncle Mike’s little Angel, his wife Auntie Sue loves to shop for Tooka, buying her the best clothes and toys. The North Haven Police family never miss a holiday or birthday.

“We are all very blessed to be a family.”