ATLANTA — Good Samaritans jumped into action Thursday evening to intervene when they saw a woman allegedly trying to set the birth home of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta on fire.
Atlanta Police investigators said tourists helped detain the 26-year-old woman in front of the historic home.
On Friday, Atlanta Police released new bodycam video from the incident showing the moment officers took the woman into custody with the help of the Good Samaritans.
Among them were two retired New York City police officers who said they jumped into their rental car and followed the woman down the street when she tried to get away.
Kenny Dodson and his brother Axel Dodson are now back home in New York but they recall the moments leading up to the incident.
“So we get out of the car and chased her up there and apprehended her, walked back to the scene, put her on the ground and waited for Atlanta Police Department to show up," Axel said.
Then, later, the brothers said the significance of the situation hit them.
“Oh, the significance of it. You know, with the whole thing being that is MLK's home,” Kenny said. “And for something like that to possibly happen to his home, to lose something like that historical location... That's why it really hit us.”
It was the same for Zach Kempf, a tourist from Utah who recorded the video that appeared to show the woman pouring gasoline on the home and getting a lighter.
When Kempf and his co-worker realized what the woman was doing, they intervened to stop her.
"She just would have gone up and started a fire,” Kempf said.
RELATED: Details on alleged attempt to set MLK Jr. birth home on fire in incident report, arrest warrants
Now, the Superintendent of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Judy Forte, said everyone is evaluating how to increase security at the home, and hoping they don't have to install a fence.
"But, if we do have to put a level of protection like some type of barricade around the home, we would certainly consider that as well," Forte said.
Martin Luther King III, Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest son, spoke about the incident at his father's birth home.
"It's almost like a national treasure. People from all over the world come to that home and walk through there and see the history that came from that home," Martin Luther King III said.
Martin Luther King III also had a message to the Good Samaritans who stepped in to help save his father's birth home. He said he's grateful beyond words to the tourists -- from Utah and from New York City -- for saving this national landmark.
"Personally, I want to say thank you for what you did," Martin Luther King III said. "And it means so much to the nation that you chose to engage and avert what could have been a major catastrophe. We are eternally grateful."
These good Samaritans are nearly speechless.
“Very welcome. Very welcome to him and to the city and to the entire nation, " Kenny said.
Editor's note: 11Alive has made the decision not to identify the woman accused in this case. This decision was made as we await more information from Atlanta Police after the woman reportedly underwent an evaluation at Grady Detention. You can read 11Alive's full mugshot and name policy online here.
