Newark Cops Make a Special Delivery

Two Newark cops took on a very special job early Tuesday: helping deliver a baby boy.

A man who lives on 17th Avenue rushed into 4th Precinct headquarters around 4 am and told officers his daughter was in labor inside a car parked in front of the precinct. 

Officers Marisol Gonzalez and Ronney Godwin, who were at the desk, rushed outside and assisted in the delivery of the child, who was later taken with his mother to University Hospital. The mother, who is in her mid-20s, and child were doing well, the department said in a statement.

"I congratulate the new mother on the healthy delivery of her baby. It’s great that the officers were ready, willing, and able to rise to the occasion as they went above and beyond the call of duty to assist one of our residents and share in a moment of triumph instead of tragedy,” said Police Director Samuel DeMaio.

“On behalf of the entire City of Newark, it is a great pleasure to commend Police Officers Marisol Gonzalez and Ronney Godwin on coming to the aid of a family in distress, assisting a woman in labor in a car, successfully delivering her baby boy this morning,” Mayor Cory Booker said in a statement. “Our police officers are called upon to protect and serve our residents, and that often goes above and beyond the call of duty. In this case, our officers successfully brought a new life into the City of Newark, in a difficult situation. I am proud of them, and I extend my best wishes to the family on their new addition.”