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Body Cam Captures Cops' Dramatic Rescue Of Man From Burning Car
“We're going to do whatever we have to do to get him out — that was the only thing I could think about."
Body camera footage shows the tense moments when Atlanta police officers rescued an unconscious man trapped inside a burning car on Sunday morning.
A sedan with three passengers crashed into a metal utility pole at around 4 a.m. on Sunday, which caused the car to erupt into flames, according to police.
Good Samaritans at the scene were able to pull two of the three passengers to safety but the third person was trapped inside the burning car.
When three police officers arrived on the scene, they began using fire extinguishers to keep the fire from reaching the passenger compartment where the unconscious man was trapped. The other two officers fought against the clock to get the man out.
“Officers were able to remove the passenger through a driver’s side door and carry him a safe distance from the vehicle,” Officer Jarius Daugherty with the Atlanta Police Department wrote in an email. He added that it appears that the passenger did not sustain any burns from the fire.
A bodycam worn by Officer Charles Tierney captured the moments that he, Officer Brittany Williams and Officer Christopher Davis rescued the man. Screaming can be heard before the man is pulled to safety.
“We're going to do whatever we have to do to get him out — that was the only thing I could think about,” Williams said during a Monday press conference. “I can’t watch this man burn alive.”
All three passengers were transported to a nearby hospital where they were listed in stable condition, according to Daugherty. He said police are investigating the cause of the crash.
“We are extremely proud of the actions of these officers,” he wrote. “They acted quickly and with determination and ultimately were able to remove the passenger before he sustained further injury.”
He added that police are also thankful for the actions of the citizens who rescued the other passengers.
“This accident could have been much worse than it was where it not for the actions of the citizens and officers who put aside concern for their own safety and acted to help those in need.”
[Photo: Atlanta Police Department]
