Jersey City Police Officer Praised For Heroic Catch Of Baby Thrown From Balcony

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A Jersey City police officer is being hailed a hero following the dramatic save of an infant who was tossed from a balcony on Saturday.

On Saturday morning, Officer Eduardo Matute was among several Jersey City police officers who responded to a call of a man dangling a baby off a second-floor balcony on Rose Avenue. The man has not been identified.

Jersey City officers and negotiators stood at the base of the home, trying to talk the man down. Bystanders took to Instagram Live to film the situation, showing the man, at times, swinging the baby wildly and shouting. The man eventually threw the infant from the balcony, where Officer Matute caught him.

Mayor Steven Fulop was among the officials to thank the officers on social media, posting a photo of Matute with the infant in the hospital and updating the public, "Thankfully the baby wasn’t harmed physically."

Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley said she visited the baby and police in the hospital and the baby was unharmed and went home with his mother.

"The Jersey City police did an awesome job handling that situation," Ridley said, "I think they showed great heroism and compassion."

The man was charged with attempted murder and endangering the welfare of a child.