Cops honoured for heroics
Published: December 14, 2007
Const. Jessie Poonian put his life in peril by rescuing a 10-year-old girl sleeping on a couch in a burning home in the $20-million MacEwan neighbourhood fire in July.
The city cop then forced his way into 11 other houses to make sure there were no occupants in danger of succumbing to the blaze that levelled almost a city block.
Poonian, 25, and 14 other cops were recognized in a ceremony yesterday at Edmonton Police Service headquarters by Chief Mike Boyd and police commission chairman Brian Gibson.
“To this day, I still remember the face of that girl,” Poonian told reporters after receiving a plaque of recognition.
Within eight minutes after he rescued the girl, the house was fully engulfed in flames.
Poonian was patrolling the area of MacEwan Road and McAlllister Loop when he heard what sounded like an explosion.
He then noticed black smoke emerging from a large condominium complex that was under construction.
“If there was any other member (in the area) instead of me, I’m sure he would have done the same thing,” he said.
“When you see something is wrong, you just jump into that situation and go for it.”
Det. Scott McMorran, 45, also received a bravery award, his third commendation in his 26 years of service with the EPS.
McMorran rescued a 70-year-old male driver and a 69-year-old female passenger from a fiery crash on Stony Plain Road.
“I appreciate very much being recognized by my co-workers,” McMorran said.
Cops, who exhibited either bravery or exceptional investigation in the past two years - including those who worked on the Liana White murder case and those who cracked an international child porn ring - were honoured.
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