Officer Down

 My memories with Josie are not unique in anyway, She did the same for all of us, but I have to put my memories into words so that those memories will not go unspoken.

I heard Sgt. Kimball's voice, and I knew he must have felt like the loneliest man on earth at that moment.
It sat me straight up in my bed, I had been half listening to the standard flow of Radio traffic until that moment. Now I was wide awake, my heart racing I knew exactly who was down, and I knew that in an instant our quiet little town would be shaken to its very core. And worse, I knew those men were somewhere around here. She had been taken down, that brave woman who had been there for countless members of our community was gone.

When you're from a small town its easy to get to know people, but this time it was the woman who had held my own mothers head above the water as she was seizing in a tub full of water.

A woman who took a Patrol Car down a snow packed ditch bank where no car belonged because she knew I couldn't stop those two young men alone.

It was the deputy that selflessly handed ME her spare flashlight that night on that cold desert. And as 15 or more men stood watching she placed the cuffs on those "big talking" young mens wrists. I remember the words those kids said to her, and the fire that it ignited in every man standing there, but we knew full well she could handle them. They were in good hands. I had lost her flashlight.

It was the woman who's own cry for help I had once responded too. One of her own was in need, and for a short moment, I was able to give back to her, in a small, small way.

I remember standing at the window of her truck one night when a medical call came through, it was CPR in progress, I just stepped back and said well I'll see you later. She began to pull away and then without ever stopping she shouted from her window: "How many compressions am I supposed to give again?"  I yelled back shaking my head, half laughing, 30... Josie, 30... I didn't think she had heard me with her siren wailing, but when I saw her at the hospital later, she came up to me and said: "You did say 30 right?" I said: Yes, and just laughed. She said: "HEY! Oak City is a long drive to remember that, Im glad I got it right" Ive never seen Josie not have it right.

"She was easy to love, and she loved everyone of us. She deserves our love, and gave us love undeserved."  -Josh Poulsen