Police officer Aaron Ostachuk, from Kapolei in Hawaii, recently shared a story on Facebook that really warmed my heart – especially in times like these
Read below what happened and feel free to pass this story on to all your friends and family:
“Shortly after two Officers were killed in the line of duty recently, this little young man came knocking on my patrol car window with his mother by his side.
Maybe he saw that something was weighing heavily on my mind at the time or maybe he looked at Police Officers as people to look up to. I will never know. But I was caught off guard by his small stature because I didn’t see him approach my vehicle and I was deep in thought and sadness.
I rolled down my window and smiled and said, ‘What’s up little man?’ I will never forget the biggest smile he had and him bouncing on his toes in excitement asking. ‘Can I take a picture with you?’
I responded, ‘With me?’ He again said, ‘Can I take a picture with you?’ I was delighted. This little man had just changed my world from a moment of sadness to a moment of happiness.
I told him, ‘I would be honored, and I’ll do one better. I’ll let you wear my patrol sunglasses and we can both be cops for a moment.’ I picked him up, as seen in the picture, and he wasn’t even afraid. A young African American boy not afraid of the Police because he doesn’t look at us with anger or disappointment. Because he is too young to see hate, racism, or that some Police can be bad and dishonor their badge.
This is a young boy who looked up to me as someone who won’t hurt him. I can only imagine ‘the talk’ his mother had given him prior to this picture as well as after George Floyd.
His mother shed a tear while taking pictures for both of us. Not because of what a nice Officer I was, but I would like to think because of the bravery and love that her son was showing regardless of how many George Floyd incidents there are.
I, among many other Police Officers, are sick and tired of racist, hateful, ego-bearing cops tarnishing our good, hard work and then having our profession take two steps backward and all look bad. The Thin Blue Line isn’t about covering for one another when one of us does wrong. It’s about protecting good from evil.
Today, little man showed compassion to me after the tragic day we lost Tiff and K.K. Lets keep little man’s excitement about Police Officers intact and keep fighting the good fight.”
Love the picture. It shows a lot of compassion for one another.
Our children are our hope for the future
