Hero Cop Saves Seven From Burning Residence

Chicago, IL – Here’s another “awesome cop” story for your Sunday: Ogden District Officer Edward Leighton pulled seven people from a burning residence building, just because he was a block away when he heard the call.

Leighton heard a call for a burning building and, realizing he was a mere block away, decided to intervene. Though flames were already shooting from the third floor and smoke was pouring out of the windows, there were people trapped inside and Leighton was the first man on the scene.

He ran inside, with no mask, as neighbors cheered him on. “I was like whoa I hope he come back outside!” recalled one witness.

Leighton ran to the second floor and broke down the door of resident Zabrina Washington. “I’m grateful he came in and he came in like get out of the house! There’s fire,” Zabrina said.

He got her six children together, as well as five dogs and a car, and told Leighton that there were still people upstairs. He rushed to the third floor, but was unable to get to a woman hanging out of a window, in an escape attempt.

“I couldn’t see anything. Couldn’t see a foot in front of me,” Leighton recalled.

He instead retreated and went around the side of the building, keeping the woman calm by talking to her until the firefighters were able to arrive.

Cell phone video from the scene shows firefighters helping the woman down a ladder and also rescuing her son who escaped to the roof of a nearby building. Both have been treated and released from the hospital.

“I’m just glad it made it out ok, no first responders were hurt. Just glad everyone will be able to see their mothers tomorrow,” Officer Leighton said of the scene.

You can check out a video report of Officer Leighton’s heroic deeds below:

[Image via: John Roman Images / Shutterstock]