A St. Louis police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty on Sunday, but his legacy is living on.
In Michael Langsdorf’s more than 17 years as an officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, he responded to countless calls. But one of them is standing out to the St. Louis community.
KeAndre Colenburg was just 2 years old when his family’s home caught fire in 2003.
He told CNN affiliate KMOV that the family escaped to the roof, where his dad dropped the children to the first responders below.
Langsdorf was the officer who caught Colenburg.
A photo from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper shows the young Colenburg clinging to Officer Langsdorf that day. Now, law enforcement officials are sharing the image on social media in his memory. That’s where Colenburg said he saw it and learned that his rescuer had died.
“It was kind of heartbreaking because I was hoping to meet the guy again one day because he did kind of save my life. It’s really sad,” Colenburg told KMOV.
Colenburg told reporters he doesn’t remember much from the night of the fire, but his family would tell him stories about Officer Langsdorf, including the time he came to visit them in the hospital.
Langsdorf, who was 40, leaves behind two children, ages 13 and 18.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department tweeted, “Losing an officer breaks the hearts of first responders across the country. We pray for the family, friends, & colleagues of Officer Michael Langsdorf.”
