VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Police officers and child welfare workers reportedly forced their way into a Valdosta home after a 37-year-old mother was seen acting in a threatening manner with a knife while holding her 3-month-old child, according to police.

A Valdosta Police Department (VPD) Facebook post states that on Sunday, Jan. 25, VPD officers and Lowndes County Department of Family and Children Services workers responded to an apartment on the 1500 block of East Park Avenue over concern about the well-being of a mother and her child.

Police reported the mother acted erratically after they identified themselves. According to the post, “The mother had the small infant in a baby carrier attached to her chest. She had a large kitchen knife and was waving it around; at times, the knife was very close to the baby.”

The mother reportedly refused to unlock the door and when police tried to speak with her, she “began striking the window with [the knife], while telling the officers that if they came inside, they would get hurt.”

The VPD press release states the mother moved the knife in a threatening manner toward the baby’s head and neck, as well as her own neck, and appeared to be in a mental crisis.

Officers were eventually able to distract the woman, and she put the knife down, allowing them time to force their way into the home and control her, according to the release.

The mother was transported to a hospital for a mental evaluation and treatment and the child was taken into custody by the Department of Family and Children Services. The child was not injured during the incident, according to medical personnel.

Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan issued the following statement in the press release:

“Our officers did another outstanding job during an extremely tense situation. Incidents like this are extremely stressful, but when small children are involved, it adds more stress to the officers. Many of them have small children as well, but they must put their feelings and emotions aside to get the job done. They quickly developed a plan and executed it perfectly, ensuring that neither the baby nor the mother was injured.”

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