I love the old film noir movies from the 1940’s.  The bad guys are particularly evil and the good guys are real heroes. And in the noir movies, the moral is always the same…Crime does not pay.  The good guys win.   I know that is not real world.  But they are still enjoyable to watch.

One year ago tomorrow Officer Chad Davis with the Granbury Police Department heard the words on his radio that will send chills down any normal person’s spine.  “Shots fired. Officer down.”  He started down Hwy #4 to leave the city limits and assist deputies out in the county, where Hood County Sheriff’s deputy Sgt. Lance McLean had been shot.

Before he could get too far he observed a vehicle that fit the description of the van the alleged perpetrator was driving.  He turned around on the vehicle and made plans to initiate a felony stop. The driver of the van initially refused to comply.  Then the individual pulled into the parking lot of city hall just adjacent to the city square filled with Friday morning shoppers and tourists. He exited the van with a weapon and began shooting….

Chad stared evil in the face that morning.  As he did everything within his power to fulfill a commitment he had made many years ago.  He was sworn to protect and serve.  During the course of events Chad was shot in the shoulder by the suspect. 

Ultimately other officers arrived.  Sheriff Roger Deeds, Lt. Johnny Rose, and Lt. Lyn McDonald with the Hood County Sheriff’s Office along with Officer Garrett Wiginton with the Granbury Police Dept. and Trooper Thomas Anderson with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety stopped the threat.

In the old movies, the good guys get shot and return to full duty before the credits are run at the end of the show.  But that is not the case in real life.  Chad is still recuperating.  He is still going to physical therapy like clockwork on most week days.  He is still dealing with shrapnel in his knee.  And he is still confined to light duty in the office at the police department.

Chad is not one to draw a lot of attention to himself. He quietly investigates cases in the office.  He slips out to do physical therapy every afternoon. And he continues to be a good family man without a lot of fanfare.

It would be easy for us to forget….It would be easy for us to forget that he was among those that raced to Lance’s aid that fateful morning.  And the crowd of un-named citizens browsing the shops on the square that day are going about their lives on year later oblivious to the fact that an officer they will likely never meet could have very well saved their lives.

Do the good guys always win?  Not in this life…But over the past year, Chad has won victories that he is not even aware of.   His perseverance and kind spirit has inspired untold numbers of people.  He has inspired me not to become cynical and discouraged. I am thankful for Chad one year later. And I am reminded that good guys who are real heroes are not confined to the old movies.  They are my friends.   Chad is among the good guys. And he is among the real heroes.  Thank you Chad.  One year later it is fitting to say thank you.