A security personnel stationed at a facility near the Israeli Consulate building in Atlanta is recuperating from second and third-degree burns incurred while attempting to rescue a protester who intentionally set herself on fire.
Family members assert that Michael Harris, an Army veteran, bravely risked his life to rescue a woman draped in a Palestinian flag. On Friday, Dec. 1, around 12:45 p.m., he was told that she was going to douse herself in gasoline and set herself aflame in protest against the Israel/Hamas/Palestinian war. He attempted to talk her out of it but to no avail. The woman lit herself up and became engulfed in flames.
He was also “fully engulfed in fire and proceeded to roll on the ground to put himself out. EMS had to cut him out of his clothing,” the family wrote in a GoFundMe appeal. Atlanta Fire Chief Rod Smith said the guard sustained burns on his wrist.
According to the family, his military instincts kicked in.
“My brother is an Army Veteran. As far as helping people. We were raised that way to help somebody. So, him doing that is not surprising for people who know him,” Douglas Harris, the guard’s brother, said, according to WSB-TV. He also gave an update on his condition, saying he was “doing well under the circumstances” and recovering at Grady Memorial Hospital.
“I was down there earlier today to see him. He’s in pretty good spirits. He’s just trying to wrap this whole thing around his head on what happened,” said Douglas Harris.
Harris’ wife, Tange Harris, started the GoFundMe to help the family pay for the expenses associated with his medical bills.
Collaborating with Atlanta Fire Rescue, FBI, and ATF agents, the Atlanta Police Department is actively investigating the situation. The woman’s name has not been disclosed to the public at this time.
“This was likely an extreme act of political protest. The individual that was injured was an individual that was carrying out a…
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