Officer Down

Wednesday June 24, 2015 the neighboring town, Hutto, lost a Sergeant while on duty. The suspect ran over him with his own patrol car. Because our two towns are small and so close, we are devastated. As a community and a Framily. Someone described it as trying to put a puzzle back together but you'll always be missing a piece. I personally didn't know him. But a lot of our officers did. I personally don't know his wife, but I know of her. I know she was me, praying to never receive the knock on the door, with the Chief standing on the other side. Praying to hold it together while he informs her, he's gone. Hutto's first line of duty death. She now has to raise her children alone. Their life plans of growing old together, shattered in an instant of bad decisions. Sleeping alone in their bed alone, night after night, until she can no longer smell his scent. Reminding their children who their daddy was and why he's in Heaven now. And not coming back, ever. Children have no concept of such finality. The youngest is only 4 years old. Only 4 years of memories worth, that will have to last a lifetime.

I am so proud of how our community rallied around his wife and the other officers. I am so proud of our wives who organized so much in such a little time. Anything to give his wife just a tiny glimmer of peace. I rode in my first procession, and while it was devastating to even need to be in there, it was heart warming to see the community lined up on the sides of the roads. I feel the other LEOs needed to see the community still cares. Even with everything going on in the media, they are still wanted and respected. Fundraisers are happening all the time. Every day things are being done for the family, to try and make life a little easier, a little less painful.

I think this was a wake up call to our officers. A normal everyday occurrence went horribly wrong. Had he just let go, maybe he'd still be here today. It also showed the officers that the ones left behind are the ones so devastated. The wives, the kids, the families, the friends and other officers. I don't know how you would move on. But I know that you do and you will. I pray I never have to write one of these again.