Video shows Atlantic City police officer rushing into smoke-filled home to save teen, pets

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (CBS) — An Atlantic City, New Jersey, police officer is being hailed for his heroism after saving a teenager and four family pets from a house fire last month.

On June 4, the Atlantic City Police Department released dramatic video from Officer Riley Flynn's body camera, which showed the officer repeatedly rushing into a home in the 800 block of North Maryland Avenue to bring a 17-year-old girl, three dogs and a cat to safety after a fire in the kitchen.

The department said Flynn was patrolling the area on May 26 when he noticed a “commotion” outside the home and saw smoke and the teen hanging from a second-story window.

The video shows Flynn speaking quickly to the group of people outside the house, who told him they couldn't go inside. Body-worn cameras captured the moment Flynn kicked down the front door and rushed into the smoke-filled home as smoke detectors sounded.

Once he found the teen and led her outside, Flynn ran through the house several times until all the animals were out.

“I commend Officer Flynn for his quick actions, not only in saving a teenager, but also in going back inside to save the animals that I know are part of their family,” said Chief James Sarkos in a press release published on Facebook.

The department said the teen and Flynn, who can be heard on the video coughing several times from the smoke, were treated at the scene by paramedics.

According to ACPD, Atlantic City firefighters responded and extinguished the fire.