Plano Officers Honored For Saving Boy From House Fire
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PLANO (1080 KRLD) - Three Plano police officers were honored for saving a little boy from a house fire last month.
6-year-old Gabriel Spevak was rescued by those officers as his family's home on Gillum Drive burned away on February 11th.
Officer Russell Harris, along with Officers Jones and Scott, were recently given awards by one of Plano's fire chiefs and recognized in front of the Plano city council for their courage.
"It was a little nerve racking," says Officer Harris. "I appreciate all the gratitude, but we definitely wanted it to be about Gabriel."
Other firefighters and hospital staff that treated Gabriel were recognized as well.
"We kind of got thrust in the limelight," says Harris. "Admittedly, it is a little odd that police officers should be recognized for a fire matter."
Harris was first on the scene that day. He says driving his squad car got him ahead of the traffic and helped him beat the firefighters to the family's home.
When Harris arrived, the child's mother was yelling that he was still inside upstairs. Harris grabbed a ladder from city workers who were also nearby and climbed to the second floor of the home. He cut the screen away, broke the window, and pulled the boy to safety - handing the child to two waiting officers who had arrived before the fire department did.
The flames consumed the home and the family lost nearly everything, but thanks to some physical therapy Gabriel is recovering nicely.
At last night's ceremony, Harris was reunited with Gabriel and his family.
"I got a lot of hugs," Harris says. "Gabriel's kind of a ham and so am I, so we got along great.
"We don't think of ourselves as heroes really. We just did what police officers do every day."
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