New Jersey trooper pulls over retired cop who helped with his own birth

A New Jersey state police officer.
(Image credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

When New Jersey Trooper Michael Patterson pulled Matthew Bailly over last week for a tinted window violation, it wasn't the first time the two had met.

Bailly mentioned to Patterson that he was a retired police officer, having worked in Piscataway. Patterson said that was his hometown, and Bailly asked where he grew up. It was a street that Bailly remembered well, and he shared that 27 years ago, he helped a woman there deliver her baby. "My name is Michael Patterson, sir," the trooper responded. "Thank you for delivering me."

On Oct. 5, 1991, Patterson's mother, Karen, came home from shopping and realized she was in labor. Her husband quickly called the doctor and police, and after Bailly arrived, Patterson's doctor coached him through how to deliver the baby over the phone, NJ.com reports. Patterson and Bailly's reunion didn't end with a ticket or on the side of the road — later, Patterson and his mom enjoyed a visit with Bailly and his wife.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.