i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." >>> they do battle with the armed and dangerous. >> pursuits are bad. shooting is bad. shooting pursuits, really, really bad. >> and handle the most unexpected predicaments. >> it's a hard thing to watch for a lot of people. >> and react quickly when routine situations suddenly turn perilous. >> first mental thing is that i'm a slaughtered man. >> police officers put their lives on the line every day. and in their arsenal, they have a silent witness that can speak volumes. >> put the gun down, man! >> in this hour, suspenseful stories seen through the unblinking eye of the dashboard camera. >> oh! "caught on camera, dash cam diaries." >> welcome to "caught on camera." i'm contessa brewer. dashboard cameras are an important policing tool that can bear witness to details missed by the human eye and reveal invaluable lessons for law enforcement. in this hour you'll see compelling situations caught on dashboard cameras from getaways gone

i'm contessa brewer. there are no retakes, special effects or quick edits with police dashboard cameras, still the footage can be more compelling than any action movie. and it couldn't have gotten any more dramatic for the officers in our first video who have a violent confrontation in broad daylight. a peaceful town in ohio is turned upside down when two brothers, admitted white supremacists with criminal records, roll into town with guns blazing. february 15th, 1997, wilmington, ohio. state police trooper john harker is on highway patrol. with 11 years on the force's drug interdiction unit, harker has been involved in some of the riskiest and most high-profile arrests in the state. >> we worked in southwestern ohio with the intention of apprehending folks engaged in criminal activities, felony activities, drugs, stolen property, that type of enforcement. >> trooper harker's day starts like any other, with a traffic stop. he pulls over a driver going under the speed limit and whose 1977 blue chevy suburb

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." you're about to see some incredible stories of courage under fire as we explore one of the most dangerous scenarios a person can face. a close encounter with a gun. we must warn you. many of the images you're about to see are violent and disturbing. a disturbed man unleashes terror on a school board. firing on the group from point blank range. >> this is a -- >> please don't. please don't. please. >> december 14th, 2010, the bay district school board in panama city, florida, is in the middle of its regular meeting. >> we'd been talking about head lice. some of the mundane things we have to deal with. >> we were making really bad jokes like, this is nitpicky or this bugs me. i mean, we made really bad jokes. >> but the lighthearted mood is about to change. a man walks over to the wall and spray paints the letter "v" inside a circle. at first, the board members aren't quite sure what's happening. >> we were just all kind of in shock. i mean, we -- i didn't

i'm contessa brewer. sometimes all it takes is for one tiny detail to be off. in a split second, a routine event can escalate into a life or death drama leaving folks to wonder what went wrong. it can happen at work or at play or as these people found out, during a leisurely day at a horse show. an official at a horse competition gets trampled by an out of control horse. may 2nd, 2001, springfield, illinois, at the arabian breed finals, they compete in a class called country pleasure driving. videographer rick is there to capture the event. >> it's a very neat class. it should look like a pleasure to drive. >> one of the riders here to compete on this day is paul hyman. >> he loves to show off. >> riding a horse, you sit on top of the horse, on the saddle. and you really control the horse with your legs and with your arms. it's much easier to control them that way. when you drive, you only have reins and the horse is way up in front so you really don't control as much as when you are riding. >> the compet

i'm contessa brewer. when i look at popular videos my favorites keep me going back again and again. in this hour we will take a look at truly unique brain twisting videos to see if we can unravel their magic and mystery. we want to know what on earth made them try that and how did they catch it all on camera? >> a few people tried it. nobody managed to get close to where we got today. >> have you witnessed a miracle? >> you have to believe you can do these things. it is not like impossible. >> me, my boots and i are going to make it. >> i think it is going to be the next big thing. a new sport is introduced. essentially running on water. >> could it ever happen? >> who doesn't want to believe that you can actually run on water? >> and you see that image of somebody actually doing it and it's exciting. >> you're going one step, going two steps, going three steps. we're discovering it as we go along. >> it feels like the type of documentary you'd see about any type of extreme sport. >> it showed the backgro

i'm contessa brewer. behavior can sometimes seem like an epidemic, from road rage to bullying over the internet to fist fights on reality tv. our first video is a prime example of bad behavior. a mob erupts in violence, and not out of anger or frustration, but to celebrate the home team's victory. ♪ chanting [?chanting light it up?] >> mayhem in the streets of los angeles. june 2010. 19-year-old student and part-time graphic designer jun gatuna ducks into a downtown bar to watch the last moments of the nba finals. the los angeles lakers versus the boston celtics. >> i just wanted to see what was going on, see if the lakers won or not. and if they did win, i just wanted to see how the victory celebration went. >> we won, baby! >> the final score, lakers 83, celtics 79. in game seven, the lakers clinched the title, and gatuna heads toward the arena. >> the atmosphere was very energetic. a lot of people were shouting celtics suck, lakers won, lakers won. i headed to staples center because i heard from a lot

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." from an early age we're told never to play with fire. maybe that's why we're so fascinated by people who dare to get close to the flames. our first story is about a fire breathing performer. as you'll see years of training aren't enough to avoid a terrifying accident. we want to warn you about everything in this hour, from beginning to end. don't try any of it at home. or anywhere for that matter. a fire breather performs a move she's done hundreds of times before, but this time, in the midst of her act, she sets herself ablaze. hudson, quebec, is 40 miles from the french canadian city of montreal. it's also home to a summer music festival that draws thousands. >> the hudson festival is very, very popular with the town. everybody comes out. it's a very festive atmosphere. >> the best place to watch the performances is the stage by cunningham's restaurant and bar. >> we luck out every year. we get the stage right in front of our pub. >> july 31st, 2010, i

i'm contessa brewer. the power of the natural world surrounds us and although it can be awe inspiring it could be deadly. disaster could strike without warning and leave behind other devastation. when battle lines are drawn between man and nature, frequently, nature has the upper hand. it's like a time lapse movie scene. >> this looked like something apocalyptic. some kind of end of the world moment. >> although you could see it coming from miles away -- >> look at the size of this thing. oh, yeah. >> you can't escape it. hot, dry weather is the stuff of legend in the sprawling metropolis of phoenix, arizona. here in the valley of the sun, summer temperatures can exceed 100 degrees for weeks on end. being surrounded by desert only makes things hotter. on july 5th, 2011, the combination results in a spectacular phenomenon that fills the sky. >> the storm spanned from one side of the horizon to the other. >> this time lapse must be seen to be believed. the storm is called a haboob. >> a haboob is an arabic

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." each year fire kills more americans than all natural disasters combined, and yet we may not think about the things that surround us as potential threats. gas lines, tanker trucks and even the electrical wiring in your car. when you least expect it, a fire can happen. and when it happens on a large scale, whole neighborhoods can go up in flames. a massive explosion turns a california town into hell on earth. >> what the -- is that? >> what the -- is that? >> september 9th, 2010. it's just another quiet summer evening in the san francisco suburb of san bruno. but then at 6:11 p.m., disaster strikes. this gas station surveillance camera records the edge of a massive explosion a quarter mile away that rips through the neighborhood. startled drivers abandon the pumps and begin to drive away. a woman flees, clinging to her baby. ♪ residents grab their cameras and begin filming seconds after the blast. >> holy -- holy -- holy --! what the -- is that? holy --! >

i'm contessa brewer. every day we go about our daily routines never thinking that at any moment we could suddenly find ourselves in harm's way. not much feels as ordinary as a trip to the convenience store, sightseeing in the park, or even filling up your gas tank. but as one ohio man discovered, trouble could be lurking just around the corner. a carpenter filling up his gas tank suddenly finds himself pinned to the ground, surrounded by flames. >> it was the lunch hour. so i'm more so on the cashier's desk, and that time is pretty busy. >> laura works at the sunmart gas station in munson township, ohio, and loves her job. >> we're smiling at 6:00 a.m. and smiling at 9:00 p.m. when it's time to close down. so we have a lot of regular customers. >> one of those regular customers is jim, a building maintenance supervisor. >> i come to this gas station every day for lunch during the workweek. >> october 9, 2009, is as routine as any other day. laura behind the counter. jim enjoying his lunch. >> it was towar

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." police dashboard cameras capture the ultimate reality show, vivid stories of life and death, pursuit and rescue. the dash cam dramas in this hour feature a fleeing killer, a suicidal mom, an out-of-control semi, and a host of officers willing to risk everything to keep citizens safe. a six-hour manhunt for a killer on the run comes to a dramatic end at the montana/idaho border. it's the morning of june 14th, 2003. earlier, over the radio, deputy sheriff david conway gets word that an officer has been shot. >> officer is down. >> conway races toward the scene when suddenly, a gold ford taurus crosses three lanes of traffic, nearly running him off the road. >> he tried to ram me. somebody gets a chance, take him out. >> inside the ford taurus is george davis. he not only shot an officer, he killed a man and left six others wounded the night before in a bar in ennis, montana. michael carroll was there. >> he had ran up a tab of 12 or 14 drinks, didn't have

i'm contessa brewer. just going through our daily routines, we can be surrounded by dangerous materials and equipment and not even be aware of it. usually we have nothing to worry about because compressed gases, high-powered machines and blasting materials are safe when used and stored properly. but if one little thing goes wrong, the consequences can be disastrous. a fire breaks out at southwest industrial gases in dallas, texas, on july 25th, 2007. this is no ordinary fire. on the lot are several hundred tanks filled with compressed gas, including oxygen, helium, and one of the hottest burning gases of all, acetylene. >> acetylene burns at about 3400 degrees. it's used, as far as what the common person knows, mostly in welding and cutting. >> local tv news cameras record the blaze as it burns out of control. >> we didn't, of course, realize the scope of what the fire was going to be. >> the fire begins during a delivery of tanks to the refilling station. >> the delivery driver comes running in and says

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." in this hour, through the unblinking eye of the lens, you'll witness people engaged in reckless or criminal behavior. sometimes these incidents involve the unlikeliest of suspects, those whose demeanor or occupation offers no forewarning of their outrageous behavior, as you'll see in our first video when a trusted school bus driver jeopardizes the lives of dozens of children. may 8th, 2009, alford, new york. it's the end of the day at alford almond central school, and 15-year-old grace scherzer and 14-year-old chelsea pierce are eager to head home. but today's trip on their school bus will be a ride they'll never forget, and it's all caught on the bus surveillance camera. >> you're banging into the freakin' ditch. you're making the little kids die. no, stop! you can't move. stop the bus! >> when i first got on the bus, the bus driver wasn't on the bus like usual. >> it took her about 20 minutes to get on the bus, and she was escorted by another bus drive

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." u.s. troops in the wars in iraq and afghanistan have had some of the most high-tech fighting gear but they've also brought something else to the battlefield like never before. their cameras. the images captured have changed the way people back home see and hear what the troops are going through, thousands of miles away. a terrifying ied attack. >> combat patrolling at that time was hours upon hours of complete boredom punctuated by single moments of sheer terror. >> in the wars in iraq and afghanistan, by far the most common and deadly weapon against u.s. troops has been the improvised explosive device or ied. also known as roadside bombs, ieds have claimed the lives of 65% of all u.s. casualties in both wars. >> the improvised bomb is the signature weapon of both the iraq and of the afghanistan war. it's the number one killer of soldiers. it's the number one weapon of insurgents. they're also scary as hell. >> whoa! holy -- >> sometimes the difference between life and death is just second

i'm contessa brewer. no matter the job, it's bound to have pitfalls. certain careers come with hazards. some are expected, others turn out to be a surprise. in our next hour, we'll meet people faced with incredible situations that happened on the job, like the referee we meet in our first video. he makes a call during a high school wrestling match and then he goes down for the count. for referee bob west, it starts off like any other high school wrestling match. two opponents locked in a fierce battle. one is pinned. and he doesn't like the call. that's not unusual in a heated sports competition. but watch what happens next. bob west lives in spokane, washington, with his wife and daughter. in 1996, he's caught on camera making a routine call one second -- >> completely blind-sided me. >> knocked unconscious the next. >> it was a wrestling match between colville high school and west valley high school. >> chad hildebrand is on the left in maroon representing colville. his opponent on the right in black is west valley's josh kelp. >> the hype of the mat

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." you see a crime unfolding before your very eyes. the law breakers are armed, so what do you do? run for help? call 911? or would you try to stop the bad guys yourself? it's one thing to get involved if you are young and able. but in the story you are about to see, one of the unlikeliest of people says not on my watch. northampton, england. it's a bold and brash robbery in broad daylight as three sledgehammer-wielding thugs wail away at this jewelry store front. and three getaway drivers on mopeds rev their engines. it appears no one can stop these helmeted hooligans from their brazen afternoon heist. that is no one except for super granny. >> i'm exceedingly feisty. i know how to smack your hand if it's in the wrong place. >> reporter: her name is ann timson. and cloaked in red, flying down the street with the greatest of ease, the 71-year-old british granny vigilante decides to take justice into her own hands. beating the armed bandits with the only wea

i'm contessa brewer.welcome to "caught on camera." when dealing with dangerous people out on patrol or inside prison walls, members of law enforcement know never to let down their guard because the minute that happens, something terrible could infold. one ohio officer learned that lesson the hard way. a late night arrest leads to sudden violence. >> this came out of the blue. he did not see it coming. >> and a fight for his life. >> you don't know how it's going to end. >> may 15th, 2011. elyria, ohio, 3:00 a.m. in a small town 30 miles west of cleveland. police are called to the house of 29-year-old anthony thomas whose girlfriend calls 911 after a fight. officer william whit arrests thomas when he realizes he has an outstanding warrant for contempt of court. thomas doesn't resist, and the drive back to the station is uneventful, except for one brief exchange. >> at some point in that time frame, mr. thomas made the comment, i can smell the fear in you. officer whit's reply was something like i'm not afr

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." we all fear it, that one deadly moment of inattention, the simple but potentially fatal miscalculation, the sudden bolt from the blue we are helpless to avoid. in an instant, everything changes. but in the stories you will see this hour, situations that look like certain death end with a miraculous escape, or amazing rescue. in our first story, a rock climber nervously begins his first 300 foot rappel while his friend videotapes the achievement. then something goes horribly wrong. in a utah canyon, a man rappels down a towering cliff but loses control and falls 100 feet to the bottom. >> i thought for sure that my life was coming to an end. >> hey, you okay? >> in the summer of 2009, eric shrever and david cardona are hiking through utah's zion national park. they're both experienced canyoneers, skilled at getting through canyons by any means possible. that includes climbing, rappeling or even swimming. >> i've always loved the outdoors. i've been an avi

i'm contessa brewer. welcome to "caught on camera." if you are like me from time to time you look around your home and you think what a mess. maybe dirty dishes in the sink, a pile of laundry on the floor or a big stack of papers on the counter. eventually most of us clean, fold and file our way back to at least presentable. but for hoarders clutter crosses a line from untidy to out of control. and the mess becomes a monster taking over their lives. from the outside it looks like a typical home in an ordinary suburban neighborhood. but go inside and you'll witness a shocking sight. rooms stuffed to the rafters with clutter and debris. >> it's very, very chaotic and stressful. >> in california 27-year-old jessica, who asked that her last name not be revealed, lives with her mother, an admitted hoarder. >> i would describe it as bad. it's not an environment that's comfortable to be in. >> after living on her own for more than a year, jessica moves back home to save money and help her mom with her worsening condition. the transition to su

i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." >>> gripped by fright. from the unexpected to the down right horrifying. terror on a mass scale as bombs tear through trains in madrid. >> the train cars themselves just blown open. how absolutely terrifying it must have been for people on these trains. >> any parent's nightmare. a child trapped and submerged. >> he was screaming out the baby was in the washer and he needed help. >> those with nerves of steel confront what's most petrifying. from dizzying heights to hair-raising creatures and insects. >> her house was infested. they were coming out of the coffee maker, the toaster, the microwaves, the ovens, the stoves. crawling out of every crack and crevice. [ screaming ] >>> a washing machine locks trapping a baby inside. and each passing second brings him closer to a dangerous spin cycle. may 11, 2012. at the federal laundromat in new jersey, a babysitter sorts laundry when her boyfriend puts the child she's caring for, zamir, inside the washing machine as part of an unusual game of peekaboo. but when t

i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." >>> everyday situations spiral out of control. >> it was just devastating, you know? it was just brutal. >> things escalate quickly from calm to chaos. and pushing the limits can sometimes spell disaster. >> oh, my god! >> i saw him lifeless. i was really scared. >> when the boundaries are crossed between right and wrong, clever and foolish, humble and arrogant. >> whoa, whoa, whoa. >> things can go too far. >>> fists fly on a california freeway when rush hour frustration turns violent. >> it's one thing to have a one-on-one fight, but to kick a guy on the ground when he's down? that's just brutal. that's inhumane. >> june 12th, 2012. los angeles, california. it's late in the afternoon when 24-year-old emile age is driving to school on the i-5 freeway. >> it was rush hour. people are so frustrated getting off work ready to get home. >> los angeles is infamous for its congested roadways. in fact, it's among the top three worst cities i

i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." >>> did you say [ bleep ] to me? >>> from trouble making antics to record-breaking tricks. a husband's high jinx and 102-year-old's daring plunge. >> with this hardened voice she said -- >> ready. >> a man unleashes terror. >> he said quietly, hey, little mama, you see this knife? >> and the bus driver goes the distance to save a life. >> she was looking down and kind of teetering. >> ma'am, are you okay. >> i don't know what is going to happen, but i'm going to stop. >> "caught on camera hellraisers and trailblazers." >> i was literally begging for my daughter's life. >> horrifying moments inside of a grocery store for a mother and her daughters. >> nobody would suspect he was getting ready to do what he did. >> june 17th, 2013, it's a weekday afternoon for the midwest city, oklahoma police department led by police chief randall clays. across the street security cameras are recording outside and inside this local wall mart. nothing l