Bodycam video shows a Tennessee officer rushing into a burning apartment and helping rescue a mother and her two children.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A Chattanooga police officer is being credited with helping rescue a mother and her two children from a burning apartment last week in Tennessee.
The Chattanooga Police Department told ABC News Channel 9 that Officer Eli Rogers responded to a residential fire just before 10 p.m. on May 1. By the time Rogers arrived, the flames were already visible near the front door.
According to a statement from the department, neighbors told Rogers that people were still inside the apartment. Body camera footage shows the officer running into the smoke-filled building as flames spread near the entrance.
Police said Rogers helped rescue Rachel Blaylock and her two children, including 4-year-old Marlowe and 10-year-old Charles.
The footage shows Rogers carrying Marlowe out of the apartment while Blaylock followed with her older child.
“Police are not trained in firefighting, but they do take an oath to serve and protect,” the department said in a statement. “And that is exactly what Officer Rogers did.”
Blaylock said that before Rogers entered the apartment, she had been unsure how she would have gotten both children out safely on her own.
“I keep thinking back, how was I going to get two kids down the stairs?” Blaylock told ABC News Channel 9. “He just grabs her, and he was willing to go back in.”
Police said no injuries were reported from the fire.
The department praised Rogers for his actions, calling them an example of bravery and dedication to the community.
“CPD is proud to have exemplary officers like you,” Chattanooga Police posted on Facebook account on Monday.