Culpeper police officers rescue man from burning Virginia home

Four officers from the Culpeper Police Department in Virginia rescued an unresponsive man from a burning home on October 3. Arriving at the scene before the fire department, the officers encountered heavy smoke and entered the residence without protective gear.

Officer Ashley Sain entered the building first to search for occupants. Officer Neal Coffey joined the search on the second floor, where he used a pocket tool to bypass a locked bedroom door. Body-worn camera footage shows Coffey crawling through thick black smoke to locate the man, who was lying unresponsive in bed.

With the assistance of Sergeant D. Cole and Officer M. Beel, the officers successfully dragged the man to safety just as firefighters and paramedics arrived. The rescued man was transferred to a regional burn center. The four officers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and have since been recognized with valor awards.