MY NEW HERO
Officer Jeff Gonzalez
Germantown, WI — An incredible story from Friday morning starts out with a black lab named John Boy, approaching a police officer. Germantown police officer, Jeff Gonzalez deserves credit for not only refusing to do what so many other cops do when dogs approach them, but actually getting out in the freezing weather to see why this dog was loose… . “He stood there and barked a little bit, then I rolled down my window and called to him. Then he wagged his tail and got more friendly until I got out of my car. And then he ran a little bit,” said Gonzalez. John Boy was seemingly trying to get the officer’s attention in an effort to help his owner…. “Yeah, he sure did. He pointed me in the right direction,” said Gonzalez.
We hear a lot of stories about police misbehavior and mistreatment of citizens they’re supposed to protect, but we seldom hear stories about the times when police officers do their job well and with a positive outcome. Yes, there are police officers out there who are corrupt, misuse their power, engage in racial profiling and racist behavior, and just generally make things miserable for the vast majority of good cops. I’ve known a good number of cops in my time, and I can tell from experience that cops as a whole are good, decent, human beings committed to public service and doing the right things in the right way. Unfortunately, the few bad apples that rise to the top of the barrel are the ones that make a lasting impression on the public consciousness. The vast majority do an exceedingly risky and dangerous job that pays comparatively little and these days commands even less respect from the public they serve.
With that in mind, it seemed a good time to share a story in which a police officer doing the right thing in the right way resulted in saving the life of someone in peril. Officer Gonzalez could have ignored John Boy or, as too many officers are wont to do, he could have opened fire on the dog. Instead, Officer Gonzalez chose to follow John Boy to determine if something was amiss, and he found the dog’s owner slumped over in a chair. Outside. In her pajamas. In a cold snap in the middle of February. Officer Gonzalez’ actions helped save the woman’s life; had he not taken the initiative to follow John Boy, the woman would very likely have frozen to death. His actions saved her life, though I suspect Officer Gonzalez might not view what he did in such dramatic terms.
The next time you hear about police shooting or mistreating an innocent civilian, try to remember that while that sort of thing is always tragic and wrong, it should not be taken as an indictment of police in the global sense. After all, when you’re in danger and/or in need of assistance, who are you going to call?
