Detroit police officers awarded for heroism after stopping domestic abuse attack on east side

Producer note: Some of the images and audio in this video might be disturbing for some viewers.

A group of Detroit police officers were honored Thursday for saving a mother and her two children from a dangerous domestic abuse situation. They got the family to safety and arrested the suspect.

Body camera video shows why. DPD responded to a domestic call last week on the city’s east side started with a 911 from a mother hiding in a bedroom - with her two children.

"This is not television, these are real-life heroes," said DPD Police Chief James Craig.  

On the 911 call, the woman whispered, "My husband he hit me in the head with a gun. He's got two guns up under the pillow."  

The call disconnected, but the police was there in minutes. She reconnected with another dispatcher.  

 Dispatcher: "The police are outside, they are pulling up right now."

 "Please tell them to come in and get him," she said. 

The call turns into screams as police broke down the door to find the armed husband, beating his wife. Officers were able to use a Taser to get him under arrest - and get the family safe.  

As officers rush upstairs a child runs to her with a hug saying  "Thank you, he was going to shoot all of us. Thank you he was going to shoot our mom."

"We weren't going to let that happen, you guys are okay," the officer said.   

A separate domestic situation last month where a woman was killed by her boyfriend also earned the chief’s citation award for several officers Thursday.  

"Remember you are appreciated and supported not by just this department but the community," Craig said.