Millions of police officers put their lives on the line for us every single day. We’re safe and sound in the comforts of our bed every night while these officers patrol the streets, the paths less taken, and fight crime so we can wake up to a safe environment. It’s no doubt that we’re all thankful for them and the work that they do and at times, but it’s so important to appreciate their families as well.
These police officers leave their homes in the hopes to come back post duty, but some don’t return. Their families send them off, wishing that they will return soon, and life and its plans will go on as they have thought they will. Unfortunately, for police Sgt. Wytasha Carter’s family, their dreams were shattered one night.
Sgt. Carter, from Birmingham, was shot and killed while investigating a call regarding vehicle theft; the incident took place on January 13. He had been with the Birmingham Police Department for the past eight years; he started his post there in 2011. Sgt. Carter is survived by his two children and his wife.
January 25, 2019, marked the day that Sgt. Carter’s procession went through the city; everyone in and around the areas through which this procession passed got a chance to salute the fallen officer, pay their respects, and thank him for his service. It was during this procession that civilian Meghan Blankenship caught an incredibly heartwarming photo.
Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Tiffany Dial was standing in the rain, saluting the procession; she had no umbrella but duty called and there was nothing stopping her from paying her respects. Just as she was standing there, Meghan noticed that a good Samaritan comes up behind Dial with an umbrella and shields her from the rain.
“It brought tears to my eyes,” Meghan told CNN. It’s amazing “to show that much respect and love for another individual.”
What strikes everyone most about the story is that the man shielded the woman until the procession had passed (for a total of 30 minutes) and then he left; he didn’t say a single word to Dial: “I didn’t know he was there. My peripheral vision was cut off with my hat, so I didn’t know anything was there. I was in my moment,” she told the news portal.
But, once Meghan shared the picture on Facebook, everyone wanted to know who this mystery man was. Soon enough, he was identified as Shawn Allen; he is a deputy district attorney of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and was working that day. He said he came out to the procession because he wanted to pay his respects as well.
Talking about the incident, Shawn said: “It was raining and I had an umbrella and she didn’t. It was just a nice thing to do.” But, Dial was completely touched by his gesture: “It meant a lot, in ways you can’t even put into words. It wasn’t just about keeping the rain off of me for that little bit, it meant a lot more than that.”
Click on the video below to watch the news coverage on this story!
