26-year CMPD veteran comforts baby after mother shot while breastfeeding

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- A soon-to-be-retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg cop is getting a lot of praise for going above and beyond the call of duty.

On Monday, officers said someone broke into a mother's home and shot her while she was breastfeeding her 6-month-old baby, WSOC reports.

Moments later, Gil Allred, a 26-year veteran of the department, comforted the child.

"The fire department couldn't calm the child down, so they handed her to me," Allred said.

On the job but nervous, Allred - a father of three - instantly jumped into action to calm the infant down.

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"Whenever you have kids involved in a traumatic situation, it always plays on your nerves," Allred said.

It's Allred's last week on the job. He is retiring and said he feels blessed to have been in the right spot Monday.

"We were able to be a part of that horrific scene and that miracle," Allred said. "I hope she realizes one day that she was taken care of, not by me, but by The Almighty."

Police said the gunman was looking for someone else and shot the innocent mother after he kicked the door in.

The baby is doing OK but the child's mother was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries.