Crime & Safety
Hazelwood Police Officers Honored for Helping Elderly Man Escape a House Fire
The man was hanging out his bathroom window when police arrived and save him from the fire that damaged his home.
On December 10, 2012, James Johnson just barely survived a housefire in Hazelwood.
Hazelwood Police Department officers responded to a call about a house that was engulfed in flames in the 2100 block of Lundy Drive just off Howdershell Road, and arrived to find the elderly homeowner hanging out of a bathroom located on the West side of the residence.
Those officers were Ryan Enge, Todd Greeves and Daniel Milner, and they were honored at Wednesday's Hazelwood City Council meeting for their heroism.
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"As they were preparing to enter, they were summoned by a witness to the West side of the home," city clerk Colleen Wolf read from the Lifesaving Award proclamation. "They located the resident sticking his head out of small bathroom window gasping for air."
Wolf said the man was unable to climb out of the window and the officers worked together to find a way to extract Johnson, saving his life.
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Johnson was transported to a local hospital for smoke inhalation and dizziness. Neighbors said he was staying with family for the time being.
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