Last month, Muskogee police officer Jody Standbridge pulled a man from a burning home that was pouring smoke. The officer, who was the first to arrive on the scene, also got neighbors out of their homes and to a safe area.
Now the police have released the dramatic rescue video from Standbridge's body camera.
"He got there first, and from everything that we can see in the video, he pretty much saved the guy's life," said Sergeant Mike Mahan.
Police say a space heater caught fire after the homeowners illegally hooked up their utilities to their neighbors house. Several people went to the hospital, and the District Attorney's office is pressing charges.
A few months ago, Muskogee Police gave the body cameras to every officer in the department. They wear them either on their heads or around their collar. This is the first video from the body cameras that officers have released to the public.
"The camera serves definitely as a third, impartial witness to the scene," Mahan said.
Mahan said the department also uses the video for training and evidence.
"Any situations that we encounter, we're able to go back and look at it. It makes a more open agency," Mahan said.
Mahan said it's also important to show the public what happened. He said sometimes people need to see what the officers are doing on the job to keep them safe.
"You always want that trust with the community," Mahan said. "I think we do have that trust."
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