Off-Duty Police Officer Rescues 5 People From Fire

Published: February 23, 2007 | 5612th good news item since 2003

An off-duty police officer on his way to work rescued five people, including three children, late Tuesday night from burning South Side residence, police said.

Englewood District Officer Michael O’Connor said he was on his way to work about 10:50 p.m. when he saw the two-story apartment building, located at 1758 W. 71st St., on fire. O’Connor said he stopped his car and kicked in the door to the building and starting yelling for people to get out.

“I was thinking that I am not a firefighter, what am I doing?” O’Connor said. “I was just trying to save people before the fire got too bad.”

As O’Connor was going up the stairs, he started grabbing three children, ages 2, 8 and 10, and throwing them outside into the snow. “I told them [the residents] to get into my car,” he said. Some of the residents were partially clothed.

The off-duty officer rescued five people from the fire at 1758 W. 71st St., police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said. O’Connor has been with the Chicago Police Department for 2 1/2 years.

Neither the officer nor the rescued individuals were injured, Greer said.

Published in Cops, Heroes and Rescues
See also: cbs2chicago.com