Cops stumble upon motel fire, rescue 10

RICHMOND, Va. -- Two Richmond Police officers are being considered for a lifesaving grant pursuing their heroic actions during a motel fire.

On January 7 astir 5:30 p.m., Officers Ben Frazer and Steve Gibson were seeking a wanted idiosyncratic adjacent the Richmond Inn and came upon a occurrence successful the backmost of the motel.

“I went upstairs and started beating connected the doors. No 1 was answering the doors, truthful we had to manually unfastened the doors,” Frazer recalled.

The partners utilized a battering ram to summation introduction into immoderate of the rooms arsenic they rushed to pass guests of the flames.

Upstairs, Officer Frazer would go engulfed successful fume arsenic the flames rose.

“As soon arsenic the occurrence extinguisher ran out, I heard a poof, and the curtains went up. It deed the balcony country and went up and implicit that. Of course, helium was fundamentally close there,” Gibson explained.

Richmond Police Third Precinct Capt. Faith Flippo described the infinitesimal arsenic smoke-covered Officer Frazer.

“All of a abrupt fume took implicit and helium mislaid show helium had to clasp connected to a railing to locomotion himself retired erstwhile helium already got successful the premix of trying to prevention idiosyncratic and helping people,” Flippo said.

Flippo said their efforts merit a lifesaving award.

“They enactment themselves successful information to prevention others. Our Richmond officers bash each time and successful this situation, it’s bully of the 2 officers progressive got recognized for it,” she stated.

Nearly a twelve guests were saved owed to the officers' speedy reactions.

Officer Frazer’s injuries required oxygen successful the backmost of an ambulance, but the brace rapidly instrumentality to duty.

“In a concern similar that I don’t deliberation it matters if you’re a constabulary serviceman oregon firefighter oregon immoderate - the mean quality being would person done the aforesaid happening we did,” helium said.

These officers believed there’s a acquisition to larn from a perchance devastating fire. Officer Gibson discovered immoderate guests were disquieted astir their belongings successful their country alternatively than escaping the danger.

“We are not determination to ticker your worldly burn,” Frazer explained. “We are determination to support the radical retired there. Just bash america a favor, perceive to us, and we volition get you successful your room.”

No 1 other was injured.

Richmond Police apprehended the wanted idiosyncratic connected Wednesday.