Jan. 25--Briggs Pierce came into the world Monday in the lucky Chinese Year of the Dragon, delivered into the hands of a Shawnee police officer on the shoulder of Shawnee Mission Parkway.
Officer Nate Karlin became the first to hold Baby Briggs after he stopped a car for speeding and running a red light and found a very expectant mother in the passenger seat.
Chance Pierce, 27, said he and his wife, Taryn Pierce, 26, had made it halfway from their Shawnee home to Shawnee Mission Medical Center before he saw the officer's flashing lights.
Taryn Pierce held their son Tuesday at the hospital, where both were doing fine.
The boy was up almost all night but mostly napped during the day while news crews took his picture, flattered his good looks and heard what's bound to be an endlessly-repeated family story.
His mother said her water broke at about 8 p.m. and the couple had to wait briefly for a friend to come and watch over their daughter, who is almost two. Then they got in the car for the 10 minute run to the hospital.
"I was going the speed limit at first," her husband said, "but when she told me he was coming, I turned on my hazards and started speeding and the cop pulled me over -- it was a good thing."
The officer "helped calm things down and got the ambulance there and didn't give me a ticket," he said, but the baby came out so fast that Karlin's role was more catching than delivering.
Karlin was not available for comment Tuesday.
The ambulance got the seven pound, one ounce baby to the hospital, where he stayed up fussing.
"It was quite a shock to him, too," Chance Pierce said.
Taryn Pierce touched Briggs' face and said it was a blessing that the family now had a healthy little boy with no complications during the birth.
Meanwhile his sister, Kynadie Pierce, played in the room wearing her "I love lil' brother" T-shirt.
She pointed at her mom and said "mommy," at her father and said "daddy," and then at Briggs, and said "baby."
To reach Joe Lambe, call 816-234-7714 or send email to jlambekcstar.com.
Copyright 2012 - The Kansas City Star, Mo.
