Six Nashville police officers were hailed as heroes on Christmas Day after they rushed to evacuate a downtown area of the city prior to an explosion, a law enforcement official said.
“These officers didn’t care about themselves,” Metro Police Chief John Drake said, according to Fox 17. “They didn’t think about that. They cared about the citizens of Nashville. They went in and we’d be talking not about the debris that we have here but potential people.”
“These officers’ acts of heroism is just tremendous,” Drake said.
The six officers were responding to a shots fired call nearby when they spotted a suspicious RV blaring an announcement that a bomb would detonate, the local outlet reported. The cops knocked on residential doors and rushed people out of their homes prior to the massive explosion, according to Fox 17.
Officers Brenna Hosey, James Luellen, Michael Sipos, Amanda Topping, James Wells and Sergeant Timothy Miller were recognized by the department for their bravery, the local outlet wrote.
The @MNPDNashville police department has released the names of six of the officers who heroically worked to evacuate downtown Nashville prior to today’s massive explosion, saving several lives in the process. pic.twitter.com/2YWp356xMs
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) December 26, 2020
The blast, which took place around 6:30 a.m. on Christmas morning, was said to be “an intentional act” by Nashville authorities. Investigators also released an image of the RV driving through city streets prior to the bombing.
BREAKING: This is the RV that exploded on 2nd Ave N this morning. It arrived on 2nd Ave at 1:22 a.m. Have you seen this vehicle in our area or do you have information about it? Please contact us via Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or online via https://t.co/dVGS7o0m4v. @ATFHQ pic.twitter.com/JNx9sDinAH
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 25, 2020
Nashville is under a citywide curfew following the attack, and the FBI has been called in to spearhead the investigation, according to Fox 17. (RELATED: White House Says President Trump Has Been Briefed On Nashville Explosion)
There have been no deaths associated with the explosion that damaged dozens of businesses, but what appears to be human remains were discovered near the blast site, according to the New York Times.
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