After a car sped past them earlier this week, the only thing two Milwaukee police officers expected to deliver was a ticket.
Instead, they found themselves involved in the delivery of a baby girl.
Officers Xavier Benitez and Adam Bradley were part of extra patrols Wednesday night for the opening of Summerfest when they saw a car racing down N. Water St., blaring its horn and running red lights.
They pulled the car over near the Milwaukee Public Market, where they found a woman in labor in the passenger seat.
It turns out that after an event-filled day of fishing and eating pizza, Brenda Alva knew she could wait no longer.
Her baby was on the way.
So along with her husband, Felipe, and their 5-year-old son tucked in the backseat, the family scrambled to make a mad dash to Columbia St. Mary's.
"Out of nowhere she was coming," Brenda, 21, said. "It seemed like a three-second thing."
As the officers walked to the passenger side of the car, Brenda said they looked shocked to see her.
"I could see she was actually having the baby, and I told my partner 'We're having a baby!'" Benitez said.
The officers rushed to call for help and grabbed plastic gloves, while Brenda remained calm and "handled it like a pro," he said.
"I was basically playing catcher," Benitez said.
Within minutes, baby Isabella was born at 10:17 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces. She arrived two days before her due date.
The officers escorted the family to the hospital, darting through heavy Summerfest traffic as they dealt with an unprecedented adrenalin rush.
"They don't teach you this in the academy," Bradley said. "It doesn't compare to anything else."
On Thursday, Brenda and Isabella were surrounded by family in their hospital room, and both officers had already visited with presents.
Benitez has been with the department for 14 years, and Bradley has been with the department for nine. Both said the experience is something they will never forget.
"It's one of the greatest things, if not the greatest thing, I've ever done," Benitez said.
Bradley agreed, saying he's made plenty of arrests in his career but helping to deliver a baby is something special.
Meanwhile, Brenda already is thinking about heading home with her new baby girl -- and also about the family car.
"I'm pretty sure it is going to need a good cleaning," she laughed.
But at least she didn't get a ticket.
Copyright 2013 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
