ATLANTA —The Atlanta Police Department is praising a group of bystanders who stepped in to rescue an officer from his burning cruiser.
The Oct. 21 incident occurred when Officer Malik Safi was responding to a call of an officer in need of assistance, the department posted on social media. While en route to the call, his cruiser crashed into the side of a house, causing both the vehicle and the home to catch fire.
| POLICE RESEARCH: How 8-, 10- and 12-hour police shifts affect staffing and wellness
Before first responders arrived, a group of good Samaritans pulled Safi from the cruiser. Safi’s own body camera footage shows the bystanders pulling him away from the vehicle.
“We just went off our heart… ” Ryan Beck told Atlanta Police. “We didn’t want to see [anyone] suffering in that type of situation, so we just hopped out and sprung into action.
As the group pulled Safi away, one of the firearms in the burning to vehicle started to go off. The group then moved Safi further away from the wreckage.
“[We just] tried to comfort him and let him know that he wasn’t there by himself,” Keshun Robinson said.
Another bystander, a woman who has not yet been identified, used Safi’s radio to call other officers and responders to the scene. Help soon arrived to transport Safi to the hospital.
Beck and Robinson, who are brothers, credited their mother for teaching them the golden rule.
The police department did not provide an update on Safi’s condition in the post but said that the group of bystanders “saved his life.”
“These residents remind us that community truly means neighbors looking out for one another when it matters most,” the PD stated. “From all of us at the Atlanta Police Department, thank you for your extraordinary courage.”
