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A woman in downtown Portland, Oregon, gave birth to a baby on the sidewalk in broad daylight and then walked away from the area. Bystanders found the abandoned newborn and called 911. While paramedics cared for the child, police officers began searching for the woman.
Officer Nathan Kirby-Glatkowski managed to track down the woman, who was covered in blood, one block away. He said that she was incoherent and "completely disconnected from the events around her."
"It was immediately clear that in addition to any physical trauma the mother had experienced, she was also undergoing a pretty serious mental health crisis," Kirby-Glatkowski told The Oregonian.
"The idea that somebody would go through what is an incredibly traumatic, medical, emotional event that can be dangerous and life-threatening on the street corner of Southwest 13th and Market, a stone's throw from a highway in 40-degree weather after it had been raining all morning, was very alarming," he added. "It was a real bizarre call and scary time for her and anyone else witnessing that. I deeply wanted to get this woman to a hospital. I felt there was an immediate danger to herself, so that was my priority."
Officers managed to calm the woman down, and she was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation. Officials said the department's Behavioral Health Unit has been in contact with the woman in the past.
The woman's child was also taken to the hospital and appeared to be healthy.