If you're being held hostage by a gunman, pinned beneath a car or caught in raging floodwaters, who do you want coming to save the day?
Fantastical examples like Chris Evans' Captain America or Robert Pattinson's Batman might spring to mind. But in these videos from 2022, it's definitely a police or law enforcement officer.
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These videos also show that the members of the community an officer pledges to protect can also be there to help save the day. Two examples show the power of civilians and police working together to save lives.
Del. Police Lift Car to Rescue 70-Year-Old Woman Pinned Under It
Body camera footage shows five New Castle County police officers lifting a car off a woman after her left arm and one of her legs became trapped under the vehicle.
NYPD Officers Scale Brooklyn Bridge to Remove Climber
A man climbed along the cables of the iconic New York City landmark during morning rush hour until he was brought down by NYPD officers.
Good Samaritans Help Ohio Officer Attacked During Stop
A struggle between a Willoughby police officer and a driver pulled over for speeding ended when four motorists stopped and came to the officer's aid.
'I'm Going to Shoot Her': Bodycam Captures Calif. Hostage Rescue
Newly released video footage shows San Diego police as they work to save a woman who was being held hostage at gunpoint by a man accused of breaking into her home.
Fla. Deputy Climbs Balconies to Save 1-Year-Old from Fire
Body camera footage captured an Orange County sheriff's deputy scaling a burning Orlando apartment building to rescue a girl trapped with her mother on a third-floor balcony.
NYPD Officers Save Blind Man who Fell onto Subway Tracks
Hearing an oncoming train, an NYPD officer and detective worked quickly to rescue a blind man who stumbled off a Brooklyn subway platform without tactile warning strips.
Sprinting N.Y. Officer Stop Car after Driver's Medical Crisis
Dashboard camera footage captured a Tonawanda police officer—nicknamed "Roadrunner"—chasing down a car on foot after the driver suffered a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle.
Fla. Deputies Help Save Family of 11 after Boat Capsizes
Good Samaritans assisted Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's Marine Unit to rescue 11 people after they plunged into the water when their boat capsized just east of Beer Can Island.
Calif. Police Save Mom, Kids from Raging Floodwaters
Body camera footage captured San Bernardino police officers creating a human chain to perform a swift-water rescue of a mother and two children from flash-flood waters.
Family of 6 Saved from Monsoon Flooding by Ariz. Troopers
An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter made a dramatic rescue of a stranded family—an 11-month-old child among them—clinging to the top of a car in floodwaters in Maricopa.
Ex-Ill. Police Officer Swims Half Mile to Save Mom During Ian
Johnny Lauder, who had served with the North Chicago Police Department, crossed deep floodwaters to rescue his disabled mother and another woman after Hurricane Ian tore through Naples.
NYPD Officers, Bystanders Save Man from Subway Tracks
In a dramatic rescue, NYPD officers and bystanders pulled a man from subway tracks in East Harlem seconds before a train roared by.
