LOUISVILLE, Ky — When a girl was taken from a sidewalk in Louisville this month, Louisville police officers say quick action from a nearby family helped stop the abduction before the suspect could disappear. 

On Monday, Sgt. Joe Keeling with Louisville Metro Police Department's (LMPD) 3rd division in South Louisville relived the scene he came upon July 2 that was caught on his body camera.

What You Need To Know

  • LMPD leadership celebrated officers who stopped alleged kidnapping July 2

  • Father and son were also praised for calling in the incident and tracking the suspect

  • Sen. Rand Paul to note the event in official Congressional record

  • The 6-year-old girl is back home safe with her family

"I walk him back to me to create distance from the vehicle and the victim," Keeling said, describing the point-of-view video recording played at division 3 headquarters Monday morning.

According to the video and his account, Keeling ordered the suspect away from his vehicle and down on his knees in a driveway while Officer Jason Burba moved toward the passenger side of the car, opened the door and pulled out the girl who cried out for her father.

"It's gut-wrenching," he added. "We know the trauma that child had to be going through. I believe we had the child back within nine-to-10 minutes. We wish we could have made that nine-to-10 seconds for this child."

The press conference was called to honor two good samaritans as well. 

Prentice Weatherford and his father, Terry, said they watched the kidnapping happen, called it in and followed the driver until police arrived.

"This guy just came around a corner and snatched this little girl up out of her — right off her bike, right on the sidewalk," Prentice said.

"It was very gut-wrenching seeing that happen to a young girl. It was scary for her and, at the end of the day, you know, you just want to get her home safe."

She is home safe, Keeling said, thanks in large part to the Weatherfords. He added that parents should not be concerned, but that this is a teaching moment.

"We don’t want people to think they’re gonna walk out their door and somebody’s gonna run up and snatch their child," Keeling said. "It is important — stranger danger is really important. It’s very important to teach your child that there are rare instances; that this can happen."

The man accused of taking the child has been charged with kidnapping a minor and is being held on $1 million cash bond. 

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, spoke at the press conference and announced he would recognize the actions of officers, dispatchers and the Weatherfords in a document to be entered into the official Congressional record.

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