Mother Thanks OKC Police Officers For Saving Baby's Life

Tense moments early Thursday morning for residents at Brownstone Apartments on NW 28th St. and May Ave. in Oklahoma City. A fire broke out and trapped several people on the second floor. It was especially frightening for one mother who had to drop her child out the window to safety.

“I was waving them down, yelling at them, like ‘Help! We can’t get out. And by that time, that is when the flames started coming down on my ceiling,” said Takia Harding. She saw two Oklahoma City police officers breaking down the fence in the back to get through to the apartment.

“From the time I got there, it was all covered with thick black smoke so she had basically no way out from the inside,” said Officer Anthony Glover. He was one of the first on scene. Glover saw that there was no way to get to those trapped from the courtyard, so he went around back.

Sgt. Dave Hollis was arrived at the complex just 30 seconds after Glover and together they started breaking down the fence, trying to create an escape route for people out back.

“You could hear people screaming,” said Hollis. That’s when they saw Harding yelling from the second floor window.

“I was like, ‘Can you please just grab my baby if I drop him out the window?’” said Harding.

Glover and Hollis were ready to catch her baby right away. Harding knew she had to let go of her 2-year-old baby’s hand.

“Once the police got Tyree, the flames was right there in my room door,” said Harding.

Hollis said, “She kind of hung there for a second and we said ‘Let him go. We got him.’ And she dropped him and we caught him.”

A few minutes later, firefighters arrived and used a ladder to save Harding and her mother.

Harding is extremely grateful for the first responders, especially the two police officers who saved Tyree.

“You are my son and I, my mom’s superhero. I don’t know what we would have did without you. I just thank you,” said Takia.

Tyree is in good spirits. Although he may not understand what happened, his mother says she will never forget.

Glover said, “I’m just so thankful that she had the guts to trust us with her child.”

The two are being called heroes, but they say this is why they wear the badge.

Hollis said, “We signed up to help people and serve the public, and when they’re in trouble, we just do whatever we can to help them out.”

Hollis has been on the Oklahoma City Police Department for more than 14 years. Glover has been on the department for two years. Both say this is one of their most memorable experiences on the force.