By Mike Valerio
NBC 12
PETERSBURG, Va. — A mother and her two kids jumped out of the second floor of a burning apartment building into the waiting arms of a Petersburg police officer below.
Officer Wendell James was the first person at the scene of 19 Woodmere Drive, arriving just before 1:00 a.m. Tuesday. James calmed April Genao into tossing her two children into his arms, and then coaxed the military wife into taking a leap of faith of her own.
“I knew I had to do it. So, I just threw my daughter out and he caught her,” Genao said. “Then I was going to throw my son out, but [my son] just pushed me out of the way and jumped himself.”
Full Story: Family jumps from burning apartment into Petersburg officer’s arms