Officer's Rescue of Woman in Burning Car Caught on Bodycam

A woman who was trapped in a burning car is hailing a Washington state officer as a hero after he bashed in her window and pulled her to safety, a rescue caught on the officer's body camera. Video shows Officer Tim Schwering of the city of Spokane repeatedly smashing the window with a baton as flames shoot from the hood of the car on a snowy street, the AP reports. He eventually cracked a hole for Kim Novak to fit through and pulled her out.

Novak told Spokane news station KREM-TV on Sunday that she hit frozen slush and broke down Friday. She says she saw smoke but couldn't get out because of the power locks. She called 911, then noticed flames. She tried kicking out the windows but couldn't. After her rescue, Novak called Schwering "a genuine hero." (More uplifting news stories.)