Warren officers receive Carnegie Medals for saving child who was electrocuted by live wire
WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Two members of the Warren police department were awarded the highly prestigious Carnegie Medal, North America’s highest honor for *non-military* heroism.
Corporal Daniel Rose and officer David Chapman are credited with saving an eight-year-old boy’s life after he came in contact with a live partially downed power line in August 2022. The child had been electrocuted and was unresponsive when they got to him.
"This year only 18 individuals were selected to receive the Carnegie Medal," said Mayor Lori M. Stone of Warren. "Downed wire there Dave right in front of your face."
"What happened was not a scenario everybody could imagine ever encountering. What happened that day is as real as it gets. Life and death is a split second with a child’s life hanging in the balance," said Charles Rushton, the Interim Warren Police Commissioner.
"That day was something none of us want to ever have to do, or ever have to make that decision," said Corporal Daniel Rose from the Warren Police Department. "I’m glad we have people, and I work with that were able to make that decision, and we’d do it all over again."
Not waiting for an ambulance, the officers rushed the child to the closest hospital, even after they felt the electrical charge in their own bodies.
"It has been said that true heroes often act without seeking recognition, out of a sense of duty, compassion and wanting to help others," said Rushton.
When it comes to true heroes, they’ll tell you, it’s not about them.
"First I want to say thank you to my wife for having my back," said Officer David Chapman of Warren Police. "This is not easy what we do, it's just we just do it and I want to thank you to the Warren Police Department for giving me an opportunity to show that I’m capable of doing this."
More than just capable, these two law enforcement officers are the best of the best.
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2 children hospitalized after touching downed wire at school playground in Warren
Three kids in total were involved in the incident, including two brothers. It's the second medical emergency related to downed power lines from Monday's storm reported after a 14-year-old died last night.