Medal of Valor Presented to Two Officers for Pulling Man from Burning Home

Communications Director

Kristin Farley
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(865) 215-2589

400 Main St., Room 691
Knoxville, TN 37902

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Medal of Valor Presented to Two Officers for Pulling Man from Burning Home

Posted: 03/09/2016
Rogero, Schettler, Williams, RauschKnoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Police Chief David Rausch awarded the Medal of Valor to Officers Jacob Schettler and Dylan Williams.  Both officers have been with the department since January 2014.  

On January 9, 2016, at approximately 10:15p.m., both officers responded to a call of a possible overdose at 925 W. Woodland Avenue.  Upon arrival Officers Schettler and Williams saw several people outside yelling and the front of the residence wide open with heavy smoke rolling out.  The officers spoke with the people and discovered that the resident was still inside the burning house.  Officers Schettler and Williams first approached the house from the porch where they looked inside but could not see anything due to the thick smoke.  They ran to the side of the house to attempt to gain entry through the bedroom window but the flames were too high.  The officers went back to the front where they crawled inside the house.  Crawling on their hands and knees, the officers finally located the victim in the doorway of his bedroom.  Both Officers grabbed the victim and pulled him from the house.  The victim was transported to Physicians Regional Medical Center.  Unfortunately, the victim later died.  Officer Schettler and Officer Williams were also transported to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.  Both officers were treated and released.

Chief Rausch said, “Both officers performed unselfishly and without regard to their personal safety in the face of grave danger.  They showed extreme bravery by entering a residence that was fully engulfed by fire in an effort to save a member of the community that they took an oath to serve.  We thank them for going above and beyond what was needed to get the job done and to set an example of what it means to be a public servant to the Knoxville community.”