Shelby father and son rescue deputy and K-9 from burning SUV

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Officers said a Shelby man and his son saved a Cleveland County sheriff’s deputy from a burning car.

K-9 Deputy Robert Taylor was pursuing robbery suspects wanted in Gastonia when he lost control of his cruiser on Mount Sinai Church Road and hit a tree.

Curtis Blanton and his 17-year-old son, Pete Blanton, were listening to a police scanner.

They realized the officer wasn’t responding to calls from other officers.

The father and son told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon on Thursday that they didn’t hesitate to act.

“I was, like, we got to get over there. There’s something wrong,” Curtis Blanton said.

Taylor and his dog, Thanos, were inside the SUV when it burst into flames.

Taylor was lying on the ground, face down with flames at his feet.

He screamed for help but couldn’t move.

“I said, ‘I got to get you away from here’ and started dragging him away from the car,” the father said.

Curtis and Pete Blanton got Thanos out.

The flames didn’t slow them down.

“I wasn’t and (Pete) wasn’t going let that dog get burned up or that officer,” Curtis Blanton said.

Bullets in the car started popping, so they drove their car between the officer and the fire.

“We were in the right place at the right time,” said Pete Blanton.

The rescue happened on a day of mourning for the Blantons.

They held a funeral for Curtis Blanton’s wife and Pete Blanton’s mother.

Cindy Blanton died of cancer.

“The way we looked at it, we buried one yesterday and we didn’t see no need to have to bury two,” Curtis Blanton said.

The sheriff said Taylor and his K-9 wouldn’t have made it out of that fire without the Blanton’s help.

Other officers captured the chase suspect.

Taylor is in guarded condition and had surgery Thursday afternoon.

Thanos went to a vet for lacerations.

Both are expected to recover.

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