Traffic stops are an everyday part of life for many police officers. No one ever really expects to see anything out of the ordinary. But during one routine traffic stop on Interstate 90 in Idaho, an officer would see something that he never hopes to see again.
It was December, 2018 and the stage was set for a day that would change one officer’s life
It was a cold December day like any other when Sergeant Justin Klitch noticed a Dodge van violating traffic laws. He stops the van to speak with the driver. But during the traffic stop he noticed signs that things were not as safe as they initially appeared.
A woman was clearly in danger, but that wasn’t all…
Sergeant Klitch noticed that a woman in the van had bruises and marks all over her face. She was showing signs of abuse and domestic violence. This would have been enough to get most officers to act, but then he looked in the back seat.
Two police officers were shaken by the heartbreaking discovery…
In the back seat was a toddler who showed clear signs of physical abuse as well. With bruises and marks that shocked Sergeant Klitch and fellow officer Shane Grady who was present at the scene.
The officers acted quickly to help
Thankfully, both officers were quick to notify medical teams to come and help the child, while the officers apprehended the adults in the van. They discovered another toddler in the van who was just one year old, who thankfully didn’t have any signs of sustained injuries according to the police report.
It was a horrifying scene that the officer had to describe
When asked to describe what he saw during an interview with local news, officer Grady couldn’t hold back the tears as he told the story.
He had never seen something quite like it before…and he hoped to never see it again
He told interviewers that he had seen lots of violence and nasty things in his police career. But he had never seen anything as traumatic as what he witnessed that day. He even expressed how shaken the incident made him. As Officer Grady described:
“This is the worst case of this type of situation that I’ve run into. I’ve been to many fatal crashes, I used to work for a different department. Went to a lot of domestic violence situations. I’ve seen people injured, I’ve seen people hurt, but I’ve never seen this before. So I don’t know what the toll is going to be,”
Medical teams were alerted and ready to save the baby’s life
The police officer was concerned for the child’s safety and kept close tabs on the toddler’s recovery. The baby, now called “Baby J” for privacy concerns, was showing signs of rapidly decaying health. His heart rate skyrocketed to 110 beats per minute and he was constantly crying in pain.
The baby was immediately taken to the ER and placed in intensive care.
Good news finally came as hospital staff performed a miracle
It turns out that the officer’s quick action may have saved Baby J’s life. Doctor’s revealed that his injuries were life-threatening, including signs of brain trauma. Luckily, Baby J’s condition started to improve, which led to this heartwarming tweet from the Idaho state police department.
UPDATE- Baby J is out of ICU!!! Sgt. Klitch just left Sacred Heart Hospital and said Baby J is alert, engaging and playful. We are all so thankful for the hard work and care of the Sacred Heart Pediatric ICU team! Still work to do but good news none the less.
— Idaho State Police (@ISPNorthIdaho) December 15, 2018
59-Year Old Jorge Gonzalez was arrested because…
As for the driver of the vehicle, he was arrested for having a firearm in the vehicle and possession of meth, marijuana, and other drug-related items. At the time, he was placed under investigation on suspicion of involvement in the abuse.
Fast-thinking during a routine stop have saved an innocent life
No one can ever plan what they do when they see signs of abuse. But there’s at least two children out there who may have owed their lives to the actions of two officers during an otherwise ordinary traffic stop.
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