Officer Holds Scared Toddler, Melts Hearts

SAVANNAH, GA — Rookie Officer James Hurst was standing by the hospital bed when the small child started crying.

After the 16-month-old was found wandering alone outside earlier this week, Hurst escorted an ambulance carrying the boy to Memorial University Medical Center.

On the job less than 5 months, he was standing by the boy during the medical exam when the child began crying. A photograph viewed more than 100,000 times on social media tells the rest of the story.

Drawing from his experience as a father and training in community-oriented policing, Hurst picked up the child and eventually sat down on the bed to cradle him. The photo shows Hurst obviously uncomfortable with the camera, but clearly understanding what the scared boy needed: comfort.

“I just knew this child needed somebody to be there for him,” Hurst said in a statement. “It was just human instinct; humanity. The hospital staff was taking great care of him [but] he was sobbing and crying. I picked him up and within minutes he was asleep on my chest.”

Hurst stayed with the boy for two hours throughout the examination.

“It’s what we stand for,” he said. “The No. 1 thing is community oriented policing. It’s what we do every day.”

It's a side of police work that doesn't get much attention on the nightly news, but has become a staple on social media.

“This job is so much more than catching bad guys,” he said. “We do what we need to do for the citizens. All the officers I work with … would do the exact same thing.”

The boy was released in good condition and police have forwarded the case to Georgia social service authorities, according to WSAV.

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