It was 2:12 a.m. on January 28 and Shannon Bird had just about run out of options. Her six-week-old baby was screaming. She was hungry, but Bird was unable to feed her and with her husband gone and four other children sleeping she couldn’t run to the store to get formula.
So she called 911.
“I’ve been calling neighbors and no one will answer,” the mother of five told the 911 dispatcher. “I’ve never been in this predicament ever.”
“My milk just literally dried out.”
Bird, who had previously breastfed her other four children, told the dispatcher that she called her husband and the two tried to come up with solutions. She called neighbors, but since it was the middle of the night no one picked up. Her last resort was 911.
Officer Brett Wagstaff of Lone Peak Police in Utah, responded. Before arriving at Bird’s he bought a gallon of milk. Although when he arrived that’s when he realized Bird’s daughter needed formula.
“We’ll be right back with some formula for your baby – she’s adorable,” the officer can be heard saying in the body-cam footage.
Wagstaff and Officer Konner Gabbitas went to Walmart and purchased formula for Bird’s daughter. Bird was stunned. She thought the officers would stay outside her home while she ran to the store, but instead they went to the store and purchased formula and refused payment.
“I was not expecting them to go get that food for me,” she said.
While the call was certainly one that was out of the ordinary, Officer Dave Ventrano said it was a part of their job description.
“To this mom, this is a priority for her,” he said. “It’s been about protect and serve. This is part of the serve. We are here to serve the public.”
Thank you officers for helping this mother when she was in need. This is a true example of going above and beyond your call of duty.
