Watch Atlanta Police Save Trapped Man after Apartment Explosion

Newly released body camera footage shows Atlanta police officers rescuing a burned man wedged between stairwells in an apartment building destroyed by an explosion during a suspected copper theft.

Joe Vince

Nov. 25, 2025

2 min read

What to know

• Atlanta police officers rushed into a damaged, gas-filled apartment building to rescue a burned man trapped between stairwells after an explosion last week.

• The blast happened in a vacant downtown complex in a building under renovation, and it was allegedly caused when an open flame during a suspected copper theft ignited gas.

• One person was hospitalized, and the incident remains under investigation.

Atlanta police officers rushed into the wreckage of an apartment building to help rescue a trapped man following an explosion last week, newly released body camera footage shows.

Police and other firefighters responded to a blast at a downtown apartment complex at about 10 p.m. Nov. 21, WANF-TV reports. Once at the scene, officers could smell a strong odor of gas and quickly began checking for injured people.

"They heard yelling from the building, indicating someone was still trapped inside the rubble," said a police statement.

A search by police found a man with several burns wedged between stairwells. Officers pulled him down and remained with him until medics arrived.

The fire department said the explosion sent one person to the hospital. It's unclear if the man who was recused is the individual who was hospitalized.

According to the building management company, the explosion was caused when an open flame during a suspected copper theft ignited gas in an apartment. The building had been vacant "for some time" while it was under renovation, the company added.

No arrests have been made, and it's unclear if police are searching for suspects. The blast is being looked into by Atlanta Gas Light, as well as federal and city fire investigators.

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.