San Jose police officers are speaking out today about last week's dramatic rescue of a homeless man from a fire. They say it highlights the importance of mental health training for officers and the importance of serving all segments of the community.
In this case, officers say they had a real challenge trying to save the life of someone who apparently didn't want to be saved.
Police tried to warn the man that his van, likely his primary home, was on fire. Officers had responded after a call from the Montessori school where he was parked. "We saw smoke. By the time we were processing that, it was flames. By the time we were processing that, it was a rescue," said Officer Tim Wright.