I am so proud of my husband for choosing to be a police officer. He is my own knight in shining armor and his children’s real-life superhero. He chooses to do a job that many would never do, and I know I never could. While my stepkids know that their dad works to keep the city safe and gets the bad guys, what they don’t know is that there are bad guys who could want to hurt their dad.
A rare, warm winter evening spent grilling out and cleaning a salt-covered car suddenly went from there must be something big going on to this is not good with every police car we saw racing down I-74. This has to be bad. Really, really bad. One click of opening social media, and there it was- two police officers down. The dreaded post that you never want to see. And in a town where I bought my first house. Right where our youngest just had tennis lessons over the summer. There was a reminder that, while I know my husband is an amazing person and an officer, not everyone likes the police, let alone loves them. And some actually want to do them harm. While we hope it won’t ever be here, in our own backyard, or involve anyone we know, there it was, so close to home. Again.
As a LEO spouse, you have to let go of, or at the very least, manage, the constant worry and anxiety that come with every shift, every detail, and every overtime pick up. When I send a text that goes unanswered for just a little longer than usual, I check locations and push the worry aside. Because you can so easily cripple yourself with worry if you’re not careful. And then something like this happens. And it’s the reminder that we so often try to ignore. That my husband is human. That the kid’s dad is not invincible, and these things do happen. And they happen often. 347 times in 2025, to be exact, according to the FOP.
When following along at home and checking on the status of whether the shooter is in custody yet, of course, a conversation is happening. We try to speak in ways that hide exactly what is going on, but little minds are inquisitive, and all we can say is that someone did something really bad, and some police officers got hurt. I see it more and more with our almost 8-year-old. She’s connecting the dots and asking questions. I am dreading the day she asks if anyone would ever want to hurt her dad, because unfortunately, the answer is yes. Bad guys don’t care that the police officer has a family at home and that they are more than just a badge. But we know that our favorite officer is a dad and a husband, and so much more than a badge.
As a parent, you have to put on a brave face like everything is fine, even when you know it is absolutely the worst day for another LEO family and that their world is getting turned upside down. You wait for the kids to head to bed and finally let it all out. How do you tell children that this is the world they live in? How do you tell a little girl not to want to be a police officer like her dad when she grows up, because this is what it’s really like? That while you’re an amazing human being, you’re a target?
For those who don’t know LEOs personally, chat with them. Say hello. Really! I promise they are all just normal people who happen to wear a uniform. Lots of them are parents and would be happy to have positive interactions with the public, letting the good outweigh the bad. Help bridge the gap and teach your own kiddos that these officers are just people, too. Some days, like today, are so heavy, and the biggest thing we can do for one another is be there.
My thoughts and prayers are with BGPD, Officer Elliot’s family, and all of those who continue to hold the line.
