Officer catches baby thrown from 2nd floor balcony

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Gray News) - A police officer is being hailed as a hero for saving a 1-month-old baby who was thrown from the second floor balcony of a New Jersey building.

Police responded to an incident Saturday morning in Jersey City, New Jersey, where an unidentified man was threatening a 1-month-old baby, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Officers set up a perimeter to negotiate with the man, but he ended up throwing the baby from the second story of the building, Mayor Steven Fulop wrote on Instagram.

Officials say Officer Eduardo Matute safely caught the baby, who was not injured during the incident. CNN reports the infant was taken to the hospital as a precaution and was later discharged.

Photos shared on social media by Fulop and the prosecutor’s office show Matute smiling as he cradles the baby at the hospital.

“Feeling grateful for the efforts of the Jersey City Police Officers who performed heroically today to keep this baby safe,” wrote the prosecutor’s office on Twitter.

Photos shared on social media show Matute smiling as he cradles the baby at the hospital.(Source: Twitter/@JerseyCity via CNN)

The prosecutor’s office also acknowledged the “actions & bravery” of Officer Joseph Casey, the negotiator and first responding officer, and Capt. Michael McKerry, the incident commander.

The man accused of throwing the baby was arrested. He faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a city spokesperson.

The investigation is ongoing.