Two Warren police officers who risked their lives saving a child who was getting a severe electric shock have received the Valor Award for their bravery and selfless service.
The officers were honored at the annual 2023 Valor Awards Banquet by the Hundred Club of Detroit for the dramatic incident that took place in Warren, Michigan, last year on Aug. 30.
Cpl. Daniel Rose and Officer David Chapman were in a residential area that day when they came across an 8-year-old boy lying on the ground holding an active power cable. A storm had occurred the previous night, and a number of power lines across the city had come down.
The instant the officers saw the screaming boy, accompanied by his panicking 10-year-old brother, they raced over to help. Body camera footage shows the distressing scene playing out, with the officers making split-second decisions. Despite the live power lines dangling over the boy, the officers acted swiftly.
“I’ve got to get him,” Cpl. Rose can be heard saying, crawling under the still-active wire along with Officer Chapman to reach the boy, who was now unconscious, and drag him to safety. As they did so, they were hit with a strong electric charge coming through the child’s wounded body.
The following moments were vital.
After checking the boy to ensure he was still breathing, the policemen bundled him into a patrol car and sped him to the hospital. While cradling the traumatized child in the back of the car, Cpl. Rose reports severe burns to the boy’s hands.
As the boy regains consciousness and reacts to the agony of his injuries, Officer Rose tries hard to comfort him, saying: “I know, I know brother, we’re going to the hospital.”
Helped by units blocking traffic along their route, the police car reached the hospital in just four minutes.
“Thank you for being real heroes in these people’s lives,” a netizen commented. “Some People (children & adults) don’t know what real heroes are. They are not in Hollywood or the NFL, they’re in Warren Michigan and other American small towns. They are people that put their uniforms/clothes on and go to work, faithfully. They sacrifice their own lives and time from their own families to help others. ... May God protect your own in extra special ways.”
In this year’s Valor Awards Banquet, held at the Detroit Athletic Club, two other officers from the Warren Police Department were also honored: Officer Sage-Thomas Wiggins and Officer Kevin Defrain, who, on May 17, affected a traffic stop on a suspect wanted for homicide and placed him under arrest.
Police Commissioner William Dwyer said in a statement: “[T]hese officers went above and beyond the line of duty to protect and serve the citizens of Warren. ... I, along with every member of this Department, am very proud that these officers were recognized by the Hundred Club for their exemplary acts on duty.”
