Dennis RomeroAn LAPD officer was being praised by the department for bravely going where you or I probably would not have gone:
Inside a burning tent to save a woman's life.
It happened early today on Skid Row as cops on patrol as part of LAPD's Safer Cities Initiative noticed the blaze:
The pair was at Fifth Street and Towne Avenue about 3 a.m. when they saw flames, according to the department.
A silhouette of a woman lying inside could be seen, cops said.
The homeless female was in the process of getting dressed when one of the officers decided her life was more important than her privacy and reached in and pulled her to safety, according to a department statement:
Credit: LAPD
As he did so, a small explosion occurred, and the tent went up in flames.
Cops said the fire was caused by a candle that was left lit as the woman went to sleep: The fire apparently ignited a battery, causing the explosion.
That officer was checked out by a medical clinic for burns to his arms and smoke inhalation; the woman refused treatment at the scene, police said.
The LAPD:
Credit: LAPD
If it hadn't been for the officer's immediate action, the tent fire may have seriously burned or killed the tent dweller.
The department did not initially release the officer's name.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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