Today at work a local law enforcement officer came in with a somewhat unusual request. It's really quite an interesting story, but this isn't about him (although, he was a really a pleasure to do business with).
This is about the photos in my "heroism" album. What you'll see there is the result of a brave law enforcement officer putting himself and his vehicle between a drunk driver bent on escape and any number of innocent other drivers including those closest to me. The roof is creased into a jagged point right exactly where the officer's face was when the other driver rammed him instead of stopping. This officer, protecting my streets for only one year and one month, made the decision that my life was more important than his. His name is Robert Price, and tonight, this moment, he is out there in 20 lbs of body armor ready to do the exact same thing if he has to. Tonight, my wife drives home from work up the very same road where this occurred. I take the greatest of comfort in knowing that if another drunk sex offender happens to be barreling down that road on the wrong side in a two ton (+) Ford Explorer, Officer Robert Price of the Crestview Police department will be there to selflessly get in between him and my lovely wife.
Go ahead, Google his name. You'll immediately find several local papers' stories about the fatal crash. (and a cool link to http://www.ratemycop.com) What you won't find are any articles about the recognition he received from the public he was so willing to die to protect. I give credit to the internet media in that a good number of the articles focused more on the heroism of the officer than the all too common sensationalism of the "drunken police evading sex offender fatality in rush hour traffic" angle. I still feel that this man, this father of three (I'm told), deserves for the 50 thousand or so drivers who pass through that intersection every day to take a moment and recognize that on April 7th, he very possibly saved many of their lives. They were probably angry for the delay, went home, did what they do at home, got up the next day and did it all over again. Just another Monday come and gone. How many took even one moment to deeply consider the sacrifice Officer Price was willing to make for them.
That Monday when I went to work, I probably came home stressed from a typical high intensity day. How laughable, that I should even dare to consider any aspect of my career "high intensity" when compared to what these men and women face every time they put on that uniform.
That Monday, when Officer Price went to work, he had to go through a couple hospitals before he went home to his family. Thank you sir, from the bottom of my heart.