When a 16-month-old boy was found wandering alone in Savannah’s Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood on May 9, residents feared the worst. Traffic whirred by as the child stumbled dangerously close to busy streets.
Officer James Hurst, a new member of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department and former U.S. Army Black Hawk crew chief, was dispatched to the scene. He brought the child to safety and escorted him to Memorial University Medical Center for a check-up.
But when doctors began examining the boy, he broke down in tears — terrified and inconsolable. That’s when Hurst quietly asked:
“Can I hold him?”
Cradling the toddler against his chest, Hurst stood for several minutes until the boy’s sobs faded and his breathing slowed. Weighted down by his body armor and gun belt, Hurst finally sat on the hospital bed, letting the child rest on his chest until he fell asleep.
“This job is so much more than chasing bad guys,” Hurst said. “It’s about serving the people in your community and doing what they need you to do. I didn’t run into a burning building. I was just there for a child.”
Hurst, who is also the father of a child with Down Syndrome, admits that his parenting instincts shaped his response that day.
Police later confirmed the boy was safe and in stable condition. The case was referred to Georgia’s Department of Family & Children’s Services for review.
Sometimes, the greatest protection isn’t the badge or the uniform — it’s simply being there.
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