"Our son had a degree in marketing and a decent job, but he came to me one day and said he wanted to be a police officer. His father and I were both upset, but we supported his decision. His wife did too. His first night on patrol---he was in north Memphis--was the longest night of my life, but once I saw how much he loved it, once I saw the love that he had for the people he was helping, then I calmed down. Since then, I’ve really not been too apprehensive. I just pray, and that’s how I get through it. You have to grow a thick skin because people don’t like police officers. When they need something, they expect the police to be there, but until then, I’ve heard him called all sorts of names. I want to come back and say something, but that’s not the way to do it. I worried about him the night of the protest on the bridge. He was out there, and I didn’t know what was going to happen. His wife and I are very close, and we got through it by talking and texting each other. We worry about him. But we see his joy, and we see the good work he’s doing and how he’s helping Memphis. He doesn’t do it for the money, obviously. He doesn’t do it for the glory because there’s not any. He does it because he loves people. I respect him for that."
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