Officer’s Gentle Touch Calms Toddler Found Wandering Alone

A little boy lay scared and sobbing in a hospital room, inconsolable despite the doctors’ best efforts — until a nearby police officer quietly asked, “Can I hold him?”

Officer James Hurst, a new member of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, has earned widespread praise after comforting a 16-month-old child found wandering alone through Savannah’s Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood.

On May 9, Hurst was dispatched after residents spotted the toddler roaming near busy streets. While his police training guided his actions, Hurst says his experience as a father — including raising a child with Down Syndrome — deeply shaped how he responded.

“This job is so much more than just chasing the bad guys,” Hurst said. “It’s about serving the people in your community and doing what they need.”

The boy was taken to Memorial University Medical Center, where during the medical exam, his fear turned to tears. That’s when Hurst quietly asked the medical staff if he could hold him.

“The boy, being so small, was very upset,” Hurst explained. “I picked him up, and minutes later, he was asleep on my chest. With all my gear, it got heavy, so I sat down on the bed and let him rest.”

A former U.S. Army Black Hawk crew chief, Hurst insists this wasn’t anything extraordinary. “I didn’t run into a burning building,” he said. “I was just there for a child. We do this kind of thing every day.”

Police confirmed the child is now safe and stable. The case has been referred to Georgia’s Department of Family & Children’s Services for review.