Cop and Firefighter Save Woman from Burning Car—Show-Offs

Look, you know the rules—I don’t like to get sentimental, and I certainly don’t enjoy admitting that people occasionally do good things. It ruins my whole worldview. But every so often, some overachieving do-gooder makes it impossible for me to stay cynical. So, against my better judgment, here’s One Good Thing.

Let’s talk about Chandler, Arizona, where, for once, something happened that didn’t involve a golf cart and a midlife crisis. Instead, we got a full-on action movie moment, starring Officer Brian Larison and an off-duty firefighter, Asa Paguia. Together, they pulled a woman, Aymee Ruiz, from a burning car right before it turned into a budget Michael Bay explosion.

This wasn’t one of those polite, “Oh, let me open the door for you” rescues. No, Officer Larison smashed the car’s window—like a true, ticket-writing action hero—yanked Ruiz out, and got her to safety with Paguia’s help. Meanwhile, the car, which had just collided with a cement truck (because why not add some extra drama?), went up in flames. If this had been a movie, there would’ve been slow-motion running and a perfectly timed helicopter shot.

Of course, in typical selfless fashion, neither of these guys stuck around for applause. They just did the whole “aw, shucks, we were just doing our jobs” routine. Which, honestly, is infuriatingly noble of them. Can’t they at least let us bask in their heroism for a second before they go back to being responsible public servants?

But fine. Credit where it’s due. For once, someone—well, two someones—did something undeniably good. And if that makes you feel warm and fuzzy, enjoy it while it lasts. Because tomorrow, I go back to being unimpressed.

Here’s the actual footage….