I am praying for the families of the four Lakewood, Washington police officers killed in the line of duty early yesterday. Washington State Patrol officials were in a desperate search this morning for a man suspected of ambushing the officers in a cold blooded attack. I was nearly late for an important lunch meeting today as I watched the coverage of that event on the news. The phrase protect and serve was on my mind, as I pulled out of the driveway. I really needed to get that event off my mind and get focused on the impending lunch meeting. As I made the trek to Benbrook, my mind quickly shifted to a set of events that took place in March of 2008.

I will never forget March 3, 2008. I was on my way back to Granbury from a very successful medical mission trip to Northern Mexico when the calls to my cell phone starting coming in rapid succession. The dispatcher for the Hood County Sheriff’s office called. Several officers contacted me from their cell phones, as they investigated a fatal car crash only a couple of miles from my home. I was still over three hours away from Granbury, as tragedy was unfolding at home. I felt so helpless. Little did I know that the events that were taking place back in Granbury would prove to be life changing for me.

16 year old Alyssa Dix was killed upon impact in what could be characterized as a true accident. It was not a case of reckless driving or a driver being impaired by alcohol. It was an accident. Her two sisters were injured in the crash and air lifted to trauma centers in Ft. Worth. They were treated and later released. I had three hours to think on the way home that afternoon. A lot of images flashed through my head. I was concerned for my officers and a for a family that was unnamed at that point.

It was the first fatal car crash for the two young officers who were first to arrive on the scene. I was reminded of my first experience as a chaplain to be called to the scene of a crash, where there has been the loss of life. I felt immediate and deep empathy for both of them. I spent the next day with those officers striving to provide comfort and a spiritual presence in a time of overwhelming sadness.

Both officers asked me over a cup of coffee at our favorite break stop if it would be appropriate for them to attend young Alyssya’s funeral service. They did not want to invade the privacy of the family in any shape or form. I strongly urged both of them to attend the funeral and promised that I would join them. We put on our “Class A” uniforms out of respect. The crosses on the shoulders of my uniform coat symbolize my role in the department. We joined hundreds of mourners the day of the service. Alyssa was deeply loved in the entire Granbury community. The church was full. We planned on standing in the back, so friends from the high school would have a seat. But the funeral director seated us near the front, as a gesture of respect.

By the time the procession made it to the cemetery for the internment service, it was starting to rain. One of the deputies directing traffic insisted that I wear his raincoat…. The two officers that I accompanied that morning asked me what they should say, as we waited in line to greet the family. I never knew either of them to be at a loss for words! Tragedy has a way of shutting our brains down temporalily. I told them: Be yourself and be generous with your hugs…. The family already loves you! So we did. We stood in the rain and loved on that family. It is all we knew to do. We were composed and professional until we returned to the patrol car… Private tears were shed then.

One of the officers could really identify with the young ladies impacted by this accident. It had not been that long since she was 16 years old herself. She reached out to the family affected by this life changing event, and they in turn embraced her. Mutual comfort was given and friendships were formed. I was touched simply by watching all of this unfold.

I ended up being incredibly blessed by having lunch with Alyssa’s father not long after the crash.
I went with the intent of serving him, but I felt like I was the one on the receiving end! His faith and love for his family was a tremendous encouragement to me. Our noon meeting that summer day led to more lunches together. He would ask about the officers who responded to the accident everytime we got together. He always wanted to know how their families were doing. During one of those times he made an interesting observation that I have shared with the officers I serve on more than occasion. He said: You know that phrase: Protect and Serve? I have always understood the protect part of it, but it was not until Alyssa’s death that I grasped the serve part.

I had lunch with Alyssa’s father today. We visited at length about our families. He asked about the officers and their families. I was not surpised. He genuinely loves them. As I pulled out of the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel in Benbrook, I thought about the phrase…..Protect and Serve…I am praying tonight for the families of the four officers in Lakewood, Washington, who gave their lives in the line of duty, as they protected and served the citizens of their community…. I hope there are good citizens like Scott Dix in Lakewood tonight, who will love on the families of the slain officers, and those in that department left to pick up the pieces.