Boy leaps from burning home, caught by officers and neighbor

ASBURY PARK, NJ — An 8-year-old boy, trapped by flames inside his New Jersey home, made a desperate leap from a second-story window this week, according to a report by News 12 New Jersey via CNN.

Two police officers and a neighbor were waiting below, urging him to jump, and catching him just in time.

“I’m just hoping that he trusts me enough to catch him, because I know, in his mind, there’s two bad situations for him,” said Officer DeWitt Bacon, Asbury Park Police. “He stays in there. It’s smoke. He comes out, he might fall. He could also hurt himself.”

BODY CAM: Boy leaps from burning home, caught by officers and neighbor

BODY CAM: NJ boy leaps from burning home, caught by officers and neighbor

“Catching an 8-year-old wasn’t really on the agenda for the day,” said Officer John Walsh, Asbury Park Police. “I just kind of picked him up. I said, let’s go, kid. I threw him over my shoulder, and we just ran.”

“When he felt that was just the best way for everybody that had their arms out, like this, so he can fall into our arms,” said neighbor Joseph Dunbar.

The fire happened Monday morning in Asbury Park, which is about 50 miles south of New York City.

Two people in a downstairs unit got out on their own.

The boy was home alone while his mom was working and had no other options but to escape.

“I had to do something,” Dunbar said. “I couldn’t have nobody else dying on my watch.”

The three heroes all played competitive football and credit that to their quick thinking and strength.

“It was almost like catching a punt on a football field, just kind of look it in, and that’s what we did when he fell,” said Walsh.

The boy was rushed to a hospital for smoke inhalation and is now doing fine.

“That kid trusted us to get him out that window and thankfully he did jump, and that’s something I think all parents should be able to tell their kids that,” Walsh said. “They can trust us.”

One of the officers goes to church with the child he helped rescue.

There was a deadly fire across the street a few months ago and he was determined not to let that happen again.

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