Body cam video immediately after tornado shows Slidell police, rescue crews bolt into action

An EF-2 tornado struck Slidell Wednesday morning, police officers and rescue crews were on the scene in a matter of minutes and some of what they found was captured on a body camera video released by Slidell Police Friday on its YouTube and Facebook channels.

The footage shows officer Rodney West get out of his vehicle near where a beauty salon and other businesses had been ripped to shreds by winds of up to 120 mph.

West checks on the frightened but otherwise uninjured occupants in the salon, and then checks on other businesses. He finds a car flipped on its side, and he asks if the person inside is okay and reassures them that help is on the way.

West remains on the scene when the St. Tammany Fire Protection District 1 arrived on the scene and helped get the woman out of her vehicle.