A Chesterfield Township police officer who said he was wrongfully terminated after developing post-traumatic stress disorder is back on the job.
Police confirmed to 7 Action News that Joshua Baker was reinstated to his position on Monday, June 12, "by mutual consent of the parties, during the administrative grievance procedure as provided for in the collective bargaining agreement. Officer Baker’s return to work is contingent upon the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Services restoring his law enforcement license.”
On September 30th, 2022, former officer Joshua Baker responded to a call in neighboring New Baltimore after a 7-year-old girl and her grandmother were hit by a truck. The crash happened near Green and Washington. Although it was out of his jurisdiction, Baker was just minutes away from the crash and offered help, his family says.
Baker's parents say when their son arrived on scene, he saw the little girl lying under a truck, severely injured. Baker and an officer with the New Baltimore Police Department pulled the little girl out.
Baker told his parents after being on the scene for several minutes, he called paramedics to get an estimated time of arrival. When the EMS workers advised they were still about 10 minutes away, Baker says he and the New Baltimore officer decided to begin transporting the child to meet the EMS vehicle en route or to the hospital.
"They started on the way. Josh rode in the backseat of the patrol car. The New Baltimore officer drove and Josh held her for quite a period of time. She was going in and out of consciousness, blood all over," said Jeff Baker, Josh's father, last month.
Later that night, the Bakers say their son received a voicemail from his police chief. 7 Action News obtained the recording. In it, the person on the other end of the call updates Officer Baker on the 7-year-old's condition. The caller also goes on to say "You 100% made the right call. I'm glad you went over there and threw her in and went."
