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Garland Cop Gets Kudos For Kitty Rescue

Garland police officer Paul Clark is getting congratulations for pulling off an unusual "kitty rescue."

“It’s one of those feel-good stories that a lot of times in police work we don’t get to be a part of,” says Joe Harn, the department's public information officer.

It happened last week. Clark, a motorcycle cop, was following two cars when they stopped suddenly. A small yellow-and-white kitten had made its way onto the road.

But instead of crossing over, the cat climbed up onto the black tire of a Kia Soul.

Clark told the driver to stay stopped and tried to grab the kitty. But it squeezed onto the top of the gas tank, out of reach.

At the officer's direction, the driver slowly pulled into the nearby bank parking lot.  Clark crawled under the car and loosened the gas tank to lower it. A bank  employee who had joined the scene grabbed the kitty.

That bank employee has adopted the kitten, and at the officer’s request named it -- you guessed it -- Kia.

Former KERA reporter BJ Austin spent more than 25 years in broadcast journalism, anchoring and reporting in Atlanta, New York, New Orleans and Dallas. Along the way, she covered Atlanta City Hall, the Georgia Legislature and the corruption trials of Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards.