SAN ANTONIO – On July 18, Officer Tim Bowen and his partner answered a call for a burning apartment building in the 9500 block of Lorene, near San Pedro and Loop 410.
"I knew what was going on as soon as the smoke came bellowing out. Kids are screaming," Bowen said.
The veteran officer, who is also a father and a grandfather, talked three kids into jumping out of a second floor window, out of harm's way and into his arms.
"He saved the lives of three children from a burning building," said Charles Hood, San Antonio fire chief.
Bowen, a soft-spoken veteran policeman of 27 years, said it's just part of the job.
"Don't know exactly what to say. It's what we do when we put the uniform on," Bowen said.
There was a fourth child, a 4-year-old boy, who was too frightened to jump. He was rescued a short while later by firefighters. By then, Bowen had already coaxed and caught the other three children as flames and smoke billowed out of the North Side apartment building's windows.
"Me, as a parent, that would scare me to death," Bowen said.
Bowen received recognition and awards Wednesday morning for his heroism from both San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood and San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
"Officer Bowen's action at this fire scene will always be remembered on what a call to duty really means to peace officers," McManus said.
"For exemplary service, in the protection of life under certain and absolute danger, SAFD presents this tribute to police officer Tim Bowen, badge number 1057, for uncommon valor," Hood said.
When asked why he chose to run around back where he eventually saved the children, Officer Bowen said he didn't know. But once he was in place, his experience and instincts kicked in. He had get the endangered children to trust that he'd catch them on the other end of their 14-foot leap from their burning apartment building.
"That was the hardest part I guess, trying to talk to them, trying to get them to calm down," Bowen said.