Police officers trained to take down terrorists came to the rescue of a frightened kitten blocking traffic in New York City.

The kitten ran into traffic and jumped into the wheel well of Geraldine Cassone's car as she was stopped at a red light. When the light changed, she was afraid to move the car for fear of hurting the cat.

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Cassone got out of the car and tried to find the kitten. At least eight other people nearby joined her, but couldn't figure out where it was hiding under her car.

She finally flagged down a police car for help. The officers, with NYPD's Strategic Response Group, put their training on hunting terrorists to work.

Officers Christopher Rinelli and Kenia Marte carefully moved the car into a driveway and began a strategic search, listening for the cat's meowing.

When they found the kitten, balled up and hiding above the gas tank, it was still out of reach. The officers and a neighbor had to finally remove the wheel before they could get to the little cat.

"This is exactly what I signed up for in the department," Officer Rinelli told the New York Times. "To help people that need help. And animals, of course."

The kitten is being fostered by an animal shelter, but Cassone plans to adopt the two-month-old cat she named Midnight, when she returns from vacation.

Photo: NYPD

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