Police Officer Rescues Woman From Burning SUV by Shooting Out Window

[RamboLiberal]

DELRAY BEACH — A 22-year-old woman who cheated death Wednesday night in a fiery crash that killed one man and left another badly hurt paused today to thank a Boca Raton police officer who pulled her from a burning sport-utility vehicle.

Brianna Motley of Lake Worth broke her leg in the single-vehicle crash and suffered a concussion and some bruises but otherwise was unharmed - largely thanks to the efforts of Officer Jimmy Jalil Jr., Motley's parents said.

-----

Jalil ran to the SUV, saw Motley trapped in the front passenger seat and tried the doors, which wouldn't budge. He tried to break a window near Motley but the glass wouldn't shatter.

"I could hear her screaming to get her out of there," Jalil said. "I didn't want to wait any longer. I knew I had my pistol."

Jalil stepped back, drew his service weapon and shot out the glass. He hauled Motley to safety as flames licked up from the wrecked Chevy's engine bay.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/woman-pulled-from-burning-car-thanks-boca-raton-1097739.html


Brianna Motley's father, Bill Motely, hugs Officer Jimmy Jalil Jr., from the Boca Raton Police Department, at a press conference Friday afternoon, December 3, 2010, at the Delray Beach Medical Center. Jalil braved flames before shooting out a window to rescue Motley's daughter from the wrecked vehicle she was in Thursday where one person died.


Officer Jimmy Jalil Jr., from the Boca Raton Police Department.

Video on ABC: http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/woman-rescued-burning-suv-12298675

Good thinking officer!

I was watching TV one night - Cold Case - and saw Detective Rush shoot out the window to escape a car in the water. Thought that is a great idea if I was ever trapped. I carry a glass punch in my visor but my Glock might serve as a great backup. Googling I saw a story where a guy used his firearm to escape a sinking truck.

A security guard at the Thunder Valley Casino located North of Sacramento was driving his SUV on Sunday when the truck fell into a Northern California creek. The man's next reaction may have been what saved his life.

The twenty-eight year old security guard pulled his gun and shot out one of the windows in the truck as it was sinking. He was then able to get out of the SUV, and flag down help once out of the water.

http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/casino-gambling/casino_security_guard_gambles_by_shooting_out_car_window_survives_53729.html

[CakeGrrl]

1. I rec'd this to zero. WTF?

:wtf:

The guy saved a life. What gives?

[RamboLiberal]

2. Posted it here for those who think guns can only kill

I thought it great thinking by the officer.

[DeadEyeDyck]

19. they are good for breaking windows too...

[Suich]

3. I recommended, too!

Still at ZERO!

:shrug:

Nice story, btw! Thanks for posting!

[emilyg]

4. k/r

[golddigger]

5. K&R

[rfranklin]

6. The height of stupidity...

Like using a sledghammer to crack nuts. And pretty freakin' dangerous.

Here is the tool that every cop should carry-- http://www.lifehammer.com/

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Do you have any idea how much shit a cop has to carry?

They problably have that hammer or something like it in the car. Didn't have it on him, no time. Used a tool, tool worked. Bravo.

[jeepnstein]

14. ASP

I'd use my ASP or flashlight before I'd fire my weapon into a window. That's just me and I'm weird that way.

I commend the officer for saving a life.

[RamboLiberal]

17. He tried using his baton

Didn't work. And a lot of cops now carry smaller tactical flashlights not the big ones they use to carry.

[jazzhound]

10. How do you know it was "pretty freakin' dangerous"?

You weren't there, and the events weren't described in enough detail to create the impression that the officer put the woman's life in danger.

Presume much?

[rfranklin]

11. Assuming that shooting through a car window is safe is also

pretty freakin' stupid.

[PavePusher]

13. It beats all hell out of being in a burning car.

And I speak from a position of experience on this.

I once had to beat my way out of an over-turned '67 Beetle, with a broken ankle and three other people in the car. The fire started at the front-mounted gas tank, so exiting through the windshield area was right out. The entire process took about 3-4 minutes (but felt like hours), including freeing the trapped front passanger (broken leg stuck under jammed seat). We all got a bad case of smoke inhalation, and the entire passenger compartment literally exploded into flame as the last guys waistline cleared the door.

I would love to have had a hand-gun, but it was England, y'see.....

Monday-morning Quarterbacking of successful results is the provenance of small, bull-shit minds.

[rfranklin]

15. That's why smart people carry the Life Hammer....

Stupid people improvise.

[PavePusher]

16. And I now carry one in every vehicle I own.

I'd never even heard of them before that incident.

But if you think improvisation is the domain of "stupid people", then you are a fucking retard. Unless, of course, your precognition works much better than mine.

Since we can't always predict the near future, sometimes you have to use the tools at hand as best as possible.

:eyes:

[jazzhound]

20. "Stupid people improvise".

My nomination for most moronic statement of the quarter on DU.

[pipoman]

22. So noted, hopefully if you are

in a burning car under the same circumstances the responding officer goes back to dig through his cruiser to find the right tool for the job...(sarcasm of coarse, I certainly would hope that the officer would disregard your complete ignorance and act to save you). Jesus Christ the complete idiocy hereabouts is completely unfathomable.

[rfranklin]

23. This is what the officer should be carrying...

http://asp-usa-demo.com/pdfs/sellsheets/batons/BREAKAWAY.pdf

[pipoman]

24. You obviously aren't a cop

many, many departments require their officers to purchase gidgets and gadgets out of their own pocket. To harshly criticize a successful, life saving action simply for hatred of the tool used is inexcusably ignorant, IMHO. Would you be calling the guy "stupid" if it were you or one of your loved ones whose life was saved?

[jazzhound]

26. Great -- and if you would have made that point

without ASSUMING that the officer acted recklessly (given his limited options) you would have made a good point.

Suggestion: Why don't you track down the father of the woman the officer saved and let him know that you think the officer acted irresponsibly? (Recall that the woman's father is the one giving the massive, heartfelt bear-hug to the officer in the photo.)

If you do, I believe that the man will imitate bear behavior once again........only he won't be giving you a hug.

[Glassunion]

36. What else should all officers be carrying?

Quite a few officers do not carry battons as it is a personal choice.

Here are things that my local PD requires officers to carry on their duty belt...
Radio
Handcuffs
Multi-tool or knife
Keys
Spare Magazines
Firearm
Chemical Spray
Primary Flashlight
Small Secondary Flashlight
Disposable Rubber Gloves
iCop Digital Mic

Add it up and you are looking at close to 20 lbs. Many police officers develop health conditions, such as back problems, as a result of this. Officers with back problems sometimes use suspenders, which transfer some of the belt's weight to the shoulders, reducing the amount of weight concentrated at the waist. What else would you have them carry?

[cleanhippie]

25. IF they are stupid, how do they improvise?

Seems like the stupid would be the ones that fall for obvious marketing techniques.

What's your stake in this contraption?

[jazzhound]

27. The contraption has some detractors.

http://www.amazon.com/LifeHammer-Orange-Original-Emergency-Hammer/product-reviews/B000BN3A4Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_9?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&pageNumber=9

[cleanhippie]

28. Bwahahahahaha! Classic!

Maybe this thread now belongs in the DU Marketplace.

[jazzhound]

18. Again, we weren't there -- so presuming that the officer

chose a risky angle to fire his shots is PRETTY FREAKIN STOOOOOPID!!!

It's entirely possible that the officer fired in a very safe manner --- I assume NOTHING. And neither should you.

[SteveM]

37. Quite an admission on your part. nt

[provis99]

7. wow! America can use its guns for anything!

Personally, I use my Glock to open up cans of beans.

[Euromutt]

8. Effective, but it wouldn't be my first choice (to put it mildly)

Blade-Tech used to make a brilliant little folding knife called the "Responder," which you could easily carry in a pocket and which had a glass-breaker and an oxygen bottle wrench in the butt of the handle, but they seem to have discontinued it.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. K&R for saving a life.

[diveguy]

21. don't know how many people here

have ever tried to break a closed window, but its not as easy as hollywood portrays. I've beat on several windows with an ASP and it just bounces back. Add the adrenaline and hearing the screams or the victim, he most likely made the right choice.

[cleanhippie]

29. You will learn quickly that common sense and rational thought have no place in this forum...

So you can just stop with that right now. No matter how idiotic or unfounded or debunked or refuted or...well, you get my point, no matter what, if it is anti-gun, common sense and rational thought is not an attribute you will find here very often.


Welcome to DU.

[chibajoe]

35. I have, and like you said, it's not as easy as people think

especially with modern cars and tempered/shatter resistant glass.

[Xenotime]

30. One Word: Wreckless

[oneshooter]

31. So you would rather the driver died? How progressive of you. n/t

[X_Digger]

32. No, there was a wreck. I think the word you meant to use was 'reckless'.

Any it wasn't that, either.

"Reckless: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences."

[jazzhound]

33. So like rfranklin, you PRETEND you have information

that you don't actually have.

[friendly_iconoclast]

34. Will you be posting *anything* with relevant information about guns in the future?

If so, please PM me. I'd hate to miss such a rare event...

[SteveM]

38. Uh, a "wreck" occurred, hence the rescue.

You like BBQ?