Rescuing animals in distress is for animal control. Running into burning buildings is for the fire service. Emergency medical services render aid to the injured. Social workers deal with mental health crises. Jumping into the water is for rescue divers. Even with these vital specialties, the reality is that a police officer is the first one on the scene of trouble in matters beyond the duty to prevent crime and apprehend criminals.
Here are a few recent examples of officers going above and beyond to serve.
In Lawrence, Kansas a man was poised to jump off a bridge over the Kansas River to his intended death. A Lawrence police officer, keeping his distance as promised to the man, kept a compassionate conversation going until a second officer was able to pull the man back from the brink.
In Wisconsin, a bobcat didn’t quite make it across the road when hit by a vehicle. The frightened cat was not killed but got caught up inside the grill of the car. Portage County Sheriff’s deputies were called and requested assistance from a conservation warden. The cat hissed and swatted at the officer but was eventually freed for observation, then returned to the wild.
An Anne Arundel County police officer was driving through a residential neighborhood in Pasadena, Maryland when he spotted flames and smoke coming from a residence. He pounded on the door and yelled for the occupants. The homeowner and his dogs were able to get out safely as the flames engulfed the home. In San Antonio officers broke down an apartment door as a fire raced through the complex to rescue a man still inside. The man suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene.
In Dallas, TX an officer was waiting in the drive-through lane at a McDonald’s when he was approached by a frantic woman asking for medical help for her child. The officer rushed over to the child and found the child unresponsive and not breathing. The officer began rescue efforts and was able to get the child’s breathing restored. The child was hospitalized for observation but suffered no known health issues from the event.
Alligator sightings in Florida are not unusual, but when a nine-foot gator roamed the streets of Tampa during mating season, several callers notified the police. By the time of their arrival, the creature was angry, growling, and whipping its tail. Officers managed to rope the gator, then one sat on it and the other grabbed its head and sealed its mouth with duct tape, then threw a towel over its eyes to help calm it. Wildlife officers relocated the lusty reptile to a more suitable habitat.
University of New Orleans Police rescued a child from a burning vehicle after the driver wrecked while trying to elude the officers. The vehicle was engulfed in flames when it was located by the UNO police. They were able to pull the child from the backseat and the driver and child were transported to a hospital.
A Weld County, Colorado deputy responded to a fearful disabled veteran who had broken an arm in a fall on her icy driveway. The woman was fearful of going outside and wanted to know if someone could help her. The deputy heard some details of the call and, while en route, stopped at a convenience store to buy some ice-melting salt. The deputy salted the slick driveway and alleviated the resident’s fears. “This guy saved my life,” the veteran said. “He made me feel safe. He went beyond his job duties.”
Water rescues are not unusual before professionally equipped divers arrive. Miami-Dade officers saved a boy trapped in a submerged vehicle while investigating a crash near one of the city’s canals. The three-year-old was trapped in his car seat as his father pled for help. Officers made several dives before finally being able to free the child and perform life-saving efforts.
Stories of officers changing flat tires, buying shoes for the homeless, getting a meal or hotel for a stranded motorist, or simply sitting with a heartbroken child for a while pop up in the news or social media from time to time. These are not isolated events. Police officers with compassion, courage, and training step in to prevent all manner of tragedy more frequently than gets attention. Ready to serve, these officers know that their job description always bears the asterisk of “other duties as assigned”.