As a paramedic, I have opened dozens of cars for medical emergencies, pets, or even children locked in cars. A person who is in a car and isn’t responding is a medical emergency until proven otherwise. Our policy was to try and wake the person while knocking on the window. If no response, the person was showing signs of distress, or it was a child, we would then gain entry to the vehicle. If the temperature outside was less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, we would take the time to open in without damaging the vehicle, if possible. We had tools for that, but they take a bit of time. If the temperature was more than 80 degrees, our policy was to immediately gain access using the fastest possible means.
The people commenting on this post have a problem with what the cops did. I don’t.
7 Comments
Henry · January 12, 2026 at 10:07 am
The policy you mentioned makes perfect sense when you consider how frequently medical emergencies occur.
Nate · January 12, 2026 at 4:30 pm
Years ago I was a paramedic in rural Eastern Kansas. Life alert called to a residence. We responded with local sheriff, who happened to be a jailer who got put on patrol, not a normal deputy. Arrive at the house, old fashioned wooden door with glass panes. No sign of anyone, decide to make entry. I watched the jailer pull out his hand cuffs and use them to break out the pane of glass, cutting his hand in the process. “Why didn’t you use your baton?” He looks down, blood dripping and says, “Well shit, I forgot I had one.” About that time the resident pulls up to find out what’s happening, he’d hit his button on accident and then gone to lunch. County paid for a new door and the jailer was the only patient.
MiguelGFZ · January 12, 2026 at 8:11 pm
I cannot imagine how many cops have seen people “asleep” in a locked car that are ODing.
Dan D. · January 12, 2026 at 10:34 pm
Safety of the passenger? Oh please. This was all about gaining access to that box of donuts on the dash. See the female cop? That porker had a target lock on those from 200yd like an American assault team in Vz guided by augmented imaging from an Anduril drone flying overwatch.
Tom235 · January 13, 2026 at 8:44 am
Worked on an extrication crew (fire dept) for 8 years. Usually crashes but sometimes heart attacks or some such where the vehicle is in good shape. To extricate a person is going to wreck the vehicle. Smashing a window is usually the cheapest and quickest option.
We had one case where the daughters were trapped in the car in such a manner as we needed to essentially destroy the car. Dad was in such a panic, he wasn’t thinking – he didn’t allow us (at first) to damage the vehicle … until we pointed out the options.
Your car or your life.
Divemedic · January 13, 2026 at 9:44 am
The case here wasn’t an accident. If it is a non-immediate threat, we had an inflatable device that looked kind of like a blood pressure cuff. You wiggle it in between the door and frame, then pump it up. The gap is then made large enough to get a long rod in there to open the door by either pulling on the handle or pushing the unlock button
Wild, wild west · January 14, 2026 at 7:10 am
“Do you have I.D. on you?”
“No.”
WTF. I don’t walk down to the mailbox without I.D. on me. How do these people who don’t carry I.D. get around?
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