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Life Saving Incident

September 26, 2021
California
Santa Clara
San Jose

A San Jose police officer on Sunday rescued an unconscious man from a burning car on Highway 101, officials said. Video taken from inside a responding San Jose fire truck showed rookie Officer Pedro Garcia run up to the burning car and drag the man out of the driver's seat. The man was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital with undisclosed injuries, officials said. Officer Garcia has only been on the job for eight months, but he said when he saw the car engulfed in flames, his training kicked in. "What was going through my mind was just, 'I need to get him out now. Faster the better,'" Officer Garcia said. "I think it was just in seconds the flames were getting hotter and bigger." Officer Garcia said the intense heat made it difficult to get the man out of the car. "His shoes were melted to the floorboard," Officer Garcia said. San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata applauded Garcia for jumping into action. "Courageous, brave, and for him to kick in in eight months, just amazing," Mata said. "I'm extremely proud of him." Officer Garcia was not injured. People are already talking about nominating him for the life-saving award. "I just feel like I was at the right place at the right time, and I know for a fact any other of my partners from the department, if they would have been in the same situation I was, they would have done the same exact thing," Officer Garcia said.

The history of law enforcement in the United States is a long and wonderful history of bravery. This website is dedicated to documenting the heroic deeds of law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have either given or risked their lives to save others. There are many stories of bravery and heroism for many who are considered first responders. However, it is those in law enforcement who are most likely to be the first to arrive upon a location requiring life saving acts engaging dangerous hostage takers, running into burning buildings/vehicles, providing first aid to seriously injured victims, saving near drowning victims and much more are what the women and men of law enforcement do routinely and at many times, great peril to their own safety.
It is our mission to document the history of lives saved by those dedicated women and men in law enforcement. To share with others the dramatic deeds of those individuals who are the first, first responders. It is so important for our citizens to understand that law "enforcement" is not always about enforcing the law but rather being there when our citizens need us.
It is to this end we are dedicated to promoting documentation regarding the history of law enforcement and the lives they have saved.