Being a police officer has never been an easy job. Recently, the unnecessarily violent and often mortal errors of some police officers have made the position that much harder for all officers, including those law enforcement officials who remain committed to the communities that they serve. Tensions between police officers and civilians have soared to new heights reminiscent of the age of the Black Panthers, leading to widespread protests, calls for policy changes, and, unfortunately, violent acts against police.
In response to this nationwide unease, many officers have taken it into their own hands to try to make amends for the mistakes of their fellow policemen and policewomen.
That’s what happened when Sherry Lynn Hillard called the Arp, Texas police. Hillard’s son, John, is autistic and falls into unpredictable rages. John lost control over his emotions, leading Hilllard to call the police for assistance.
“In the last week I’ve had 6 police officers in my home because my son’s meltdowns turned to rage,” she posted later, on Facebook. “With so much negativity shown towards law enforcement lately, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show my appreciation for the empathy these officers had for my son.”
According to Hillard, the police officers arrived at her home with a little understanding of autism or how to work with people who have the condition, “but they listened and learned while they kept us safe.”
“They also asked A LOT of questions so they wouldn’t do the wrong thing,” she remembered.
Hillard said that her son’s rage was triggered by a reason most people would find hard to understand:
“The meltdown today was because John wants to dress like Joe on Blues Clues but I can’t find that same shirt anywhere.”
Despite the unfamiliar situation, the officers were able to work with John, preserving his and his mother’s safety.
“After calming him down, the officers went and bought a blue shirt and with Jenn’s fabric markers they attempted to create the shirt John wants. That’s what this picture is, three officers going above and beyond to help a severely autistic teenage boy!”
Perhaps because they were police officers and not seamstresses, the officers’ shirt “didn’t work.” But, Hillard was touched by their willingness to try.
“The fact that they were willing to do this for my son made them heroes in my eyes,” she said.
Hillard’s story has since gone viral, with all sides of the internet weighing in on the officers’ actions. What do you think?
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source: Independent Journal Review
