Newly released body camera video shows the moments Atlanta police officers responded to a massive apartment explosion near Mercedes-Benz Stadium earlier this month.
The blast happened Nov. 18 at a vacant three-story building at the Northside Plaza Apartment Homes, which firefighters say exploded due to a gas leak.
Residents said they had smelled gas for hours before the explosion and reported it to officials. Several families were jolted awake by the blast, and at least one person was seriously injured, according to neighbors.
In the body camera video released by the Atlanta Police Department, an officer arrives at the scene to find debris scattered across the parking lot just off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, across from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The footage shows the officer running toward the damaged building, where several people were gathered. As he climbs the stairs, you can see residents coming down through debris.
Officer Roulhac, with the assistance of a MARTA PD officer Terry Johnson, help pull a man from the rubble and takes him back to his police car. That’s when the audio begins, capturing the officer telling people to stay back from the unstable structure and calling for additional ambulances.
The investigation into the explosion remains active, but officials believe it was caused by a stolen copper pipe that led to the gas leak.
Residents say trespassers are common in the vacant units and that copper thefts have been a persistent problem. Castleberry Hill Neighborhood Association President Steve Yazell said the complex has struggled with break-ins.
