Bodycam video shows Madison, Indiana police rescue family from burning home
By: Dramatic bodycam video captured Madison, Indiana police rescuing a family trapped in a burning home.
The fire on Walnut Street was reported about 1 a.m. on Sunday. Six people were trapped in the second floor apartment, and the staircase was engulfed in flames.
Madison Detective Sgt. Ricky Harris told WDRB he and two other detectives had been working plain clothes security for the Madison Regatta, so they responded as the local volunteer fire department went to the scene.
The first fire truck arrived within four or five minutes, but Harris said they could see the family was trapped.
"We could see the 10-year-old girl inside. She was trying to punch the windows out. She had wrapped t-shirts around her hand and was trying to punch the windows," he said.
The video shows Madison Police officers standing below a second story window of an apartment telling the five children inside "Come on! Come on!" One by one, the children leap from the window into a group of first responders with out-stretched arms. The last one to jump is an adult woman.
Harris said a lot of first responders were working late for Regatta weekend, and it made the difference in responding to the fire.
Madison Police Officers Midgett, Wimpee, Perry, Lewis, Sweet, Shelpman and Taylor-Moore were on the scene along with Detectives Harris, Cutshaw, and Scudder. MPD Captain Heaton and Sheriff's Deputy Conover rushed to help rescue the family and check the first floor apartments to make sure no one was inside.
MPD Officers Josh Nolan and Kyle Potter are both experienced firefighters and began to fight the blaze until more firefighters could arrive on scene.
The five children and adult woman were checked by EMS. Harris wasn't sure if any were transported to the hospital because he was called to another scene before they were released.
Madison Fire and the Indiana Fire Marshal are investigating the cause of the fire.