Fla. Police Save Man Trapped in Burning Car, Bodycam Shows

Tampa police say three officers’ quick action turned a potential tragedy into a survival story when they shattered a window to rescue a man trapped in a vehicle that had caught fire.

Source Officer.com News

Joe Vince

March 25, 2026

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Tampa police officers rescued a man trapped in a burning vehicle Sunday afternoon after shattering the driver’s window to pull him from the smoke‑filled car.
Body camera footage shows three officers racing to the parked, burning vehicle around 3:30 p.m., with one officer using a baton to break the glass before the team pulled the man to safety.
Firefighters arrived shortly after to extinguish the blaze, and the police department praised the officers’ quick action for preventing what could have been a tragedy.

Amazing Tampa, FL, police rescue. — A Tampa, FL, police officer used a baton to shatter a window so officers could rescue a man trapped in a burning vehicle in a parking lot Sunday.

Florida police officers shattered a car window to quickly save the life of a man trapped in a burning vehicle, and body camera footage captured the amazing rescue.

The incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday when Tampa police officers responded to a car that had caught fire in a parking lot. In body camera footage posted Tuesday to social media shows three officers racing to the vehicle with a man trapped inside.

In the footage, one of the officers uses his baton to shatter the driver's side window. It took a few strikes for the glass to break, and officers pulled the man from the smoke-filled car.

According to the department, firefighters arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames and prevent further damage and injuries.

"When every second mattered, three of our officers sprang into action to rescue a man trapped inside a burning vehicle," the department stated. "Their quick response turned what could have been a tragedy into a story of survival."

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.