TPD Commander honored for life-saving actions
On December 15th, three members of Delta-White Center Lodge #172 joined Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg and Chief Drever in presenting Commander Todd Rossi with the award for Outstanding Police Officer of the Year as part of the lodge’s annual Outstanding Police Officer Recognition Day.
Commander Rossi was recognized for his actions on August 29th, 2020 while off-duty near Graham, WA. On that date, Commander Rossi came upon a collision scene in which two individuals were trapped in a vehicle had had caught on fire. A woman extricated from one of the vehicles regained consciousness long enough to inform Commander Rossi and Pierce County Sheriff Department Deputy Wiggins that her 11-year old daughter was still trapped in the back seat of the vehicle which was quickly being overtaken by the flames.
As the flames began spreading, Deputy Wiggins utilized a fire extinguisher to slow their spread while Commander Rossi smashed the rear-window, cut the seatbelt and removed the girl from the car while sustaining minor injury to himself in the process. The vehicle became fully engulfed in flames moments later. Both the mother and daughter survived as a result of the actions of Commander Rossi and Deputy Wiggins on that day.
In accepting the award, Commander Rossi humbly stated that his actions were representative of the actions that law enforcement officers take both on and off-duty without pause when faced with such moments of crisis.
Thank you Commander Rossi for your actions on that day and for your continued dedication to public safety whenever and wherever the need may rise.
