Police officers rescue two from burning home

Body-worn camera footage shows a chaotic scene as officers of the Sarasota Police Department rushed into a burning home to rescue people trapped inside.

Police officers were first to arrive just after 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, to a home on fire in the 2200 block of North Osprey Avenue. The home was fully engulfed in flames as energized power lines began to fall and a transformer rained sparks onto officers below, resulting in an even more hazardous situation.

Assisted in escaping the home by officers were a male and female, both adults, who sustained minor injuries.

Image courtesy of Sarasota Police Department

As they rushed into the home, officers were ordering occupants to “get out!” while asking if there were others inside. One woman who uses a walker was found, picked up by an officer and carried outside. In the body camera footage, the woman can be heard repeatedly thanking officers for their heroic actions. 

The video file of the incident is available at cloudbox.sarasotagov.com. 

“Sarasota police officers don’t just enforce the law, they save lives,” said Police Chief Rex Troche in a news release. “When others are running out, our officers are running in. That’s the commitment they make to this community every single day. I’m incredibly proud of their courage and their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.”

Once the scene was secured, firefighters with the Sarasota County Fire Department extinguished the flames. The cause remains under investigation by the Florida Fire Marshal’s Office.