Some people have never been exposed to the bad parts of the real world. I hope they never have to be. There are some truly bad people out there. Every day police officers all over this country suit up, put on a badge, and do what they can to keep those people in check. All in all, they do a very good job.
I've been blessed to count many good officers as friends through the years.
Over those years I've seen too many killed in the line of duty-good guys like Lawyer Young and Bill Lott who went to work and never came home.
Bill Lott met me at my car one night at about 3am. I was 17 or 18, riding with friends. One of the girls, Debbie, had just bought a new-to-her car and wanted to show it off. We rode all over northern Sunflower and Bolivar counties, just riding and talking and being kids.
When I made it back to my car Bill was waiting. He told me my mother was worried about me and I needed to go home, then offered me some Dentyne gum, trying to keep me out of trouble. He made me stay and talk for a few minutes, satisfying himself that I was OK to drive.
The next time I heard from him he'd been run over by a fire truck at an accident scene. He was killed. A part time Baptist preacher, he'd recently been made chief in Ruleville, Mississippi. He wasn't a cop who preached on the side, he was a good man and pastor who moonlighted as policeman.
Lawyer Young was the first black officer in my hometown of Drew. He was in a hard position, in the spotlight every day he put on his uniform and pinned on his badge. Another good guy, he was respected by everyone, white and black, as an honorable, fair, and decent man. He was shot to death on duty.
Every time I hear of an officer's death, I think of these two men. They were kind, honest, and more concerned with doing good and doing right than anything else.
Most cops are a lot like Officers Young and Lott. They’re good people who try to make their part of the world a little bit safer and better for the rest of us.
Last Sunday two officers from Coldwater, Chief Dandridge and Officer Maxwell, stopped by the Northwest Shrine Club’s Cookies With Santa. They were looking for toys for a family in need.
The kids wanted to see Santa, but the family didn’t have a way to the Shrine Club. Officer Maxwell gave them a lift. The kids got to see Santa and the Grinch and got toys to take home.
This year let’s honor the memories of Lawyer Young, Bill Lott, and remember all the good officers like Dandridge and Maxwell in our thoughts and our prayers.
