10/29/2026
October 29, 2022. The day my life changed forever.
And when I say changed, I mean REALLY changed.
Four years ago today, what started as a simple traffic stop for no license plate turned into a narcotics arrest and a foot chase. Something I had done countless times throughout my law enforcement career nearly cost me my life.
I’ve fallen plenty of times in my life, but this time, getting back up wasn’t so simple.
My leg was broken so badly that the bone was sticking through my skin. My skull was fractured from my left eye, over the top of my head, all the way to my right ear. I suffered over 20 brain bleeds.
I spent months in a wheelchair. I had to learn how to stand, walk, use my hands, and write again. I was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury and chronic PTSD.
Between the titanium rod in my leg, ankle replacement, missing tendons, and the damage to my brain, doctors told me my career in law enforcement was over.
WELL, THEY DIDN’T KNOW MY GOD!!!
What those doctors didn’t see was the fight I still had left in me.
But don’t misunderstand me. That fight wasn’t pretty.
There were days I didn’t want to wake up. Su***de was an everyday thought. The physical pain was brutal, but the mental pain was something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
Depression was toxic. Happiness seemed impossible. Peace was nowhere to be found.
I thought I was a tough man before that accident.
Well, God humbled me.
There were times I couldn’t even stand on my own. My therapist would literally strap me to their chest, and we would walk around that therapy room together until eventually I could do it myself.
I sat there picking up marbles with my toes, one by one, trying to regain movement and coordination. I had to relearn how to open my hands and how to write.
Things most people do without thinking became some of the hardest challenges of my life.
But here’s something about me.
I NEVER STOPPED REACHING!!!
Even when I couldn’t see the light, I kept reaching for it.
My family, friends and loved ones carried me through some of the darkest days of my life. And I mean that literally. There were times they physically carried me on their backs. They drove me to therapy, helped me get dressed, made sure I ate, and refused to let me give up on myself.
After breaking my back in 2017 and now these new injuries, the doctors deemed me disabled, and I qualified for 100% disability. There is absolutely nothing wrong with someone accepting that after suffering injuries like mine. But for me personally, I wasn’t ready to accept that my story was finished.
I’m not a “just settle” kind of man.
So I worked. I hurt. I cried. I prayed. And I worked some more.
Eventually, I pushed myself hard enough to pass the physical requirements to return to the police department.
The same man who couldn’t stand without somebody holding him up was back chasing criminals.
And I’ll challenge just about anybody to a foot chase these days! I’ll climb to the top of a tree, too.
That titanium leg still hurts like hell sometimes, but I promise you I could still kick the hell out of a door! 😂
But I didn’t get there alone.
Sam Nall probably saved my life that day by not letting me get up and holding my leg intact. He should be given a life saving award. No telling where I would have walked to if he hadn’t been there because I had no idea where I was and who I was.
My brothers at the police department were a blessing that I will never be able to repay.
Bradley came over almost every single day to make sure I took my blood thinners and usually dragged me out to breakfast. He wasn’t going to let me sit around feeling sorry for myself.
Arlin would pick me up and just drive me around town so I could clear my head. He was one of the best listeners a man could ever ask for. Sometimes I didn’t need advice. I just needed somebody to listen.
Dillion was my best friend. I was probably harder on him than anybody, but that man was always my buddy. I saw so much potential in him, and I wanted him to see it in himself.
Colton knew exactly how to push my buttons. That joker would call me a cripple just because he knew it would make me mad enough to quit feeling sorry for myself. 😂 But behind all that aggravation was a man who always checked on me at exactly the right time. Those duck hunts meant more to me than he’ll probably ever know.
Teddy hugged me and shook my hand more than everyone at the dept combined. That man would literally throw you out of the way to get to me and I’ve seen him do it.
Josh… well, Josh was never worth a damn, honestly. 😂
Chance probably came by more than anybody. Late-night rides, hunting trips, or just hanging out doing absolutely nothing. Sometimes that was the best medicine I could have asked for.
Every one of those men played a part in helping me get back to me.
I used to think being tough meant being able to take a punch, chase down a criminal, kick in a door, or push through physical pain.
But I’ve learned that sometimes being tough is admitting you’re struggling. Sometimes it’s allowing somebody to help you. Sometimes it’s getting out of bed when every thought in your head tells you there’s no reason to.
And sometimes the strongest thing a man can do is simply survive another day.
I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anybody. The nightmares, the depression, the suicidal thoughts, the physical pain, and the frustration of having to relearn things I had done my entire life.
But I can tell you this.
I’M STILL HERE.
Not because I’m some kind of Superman. Not because I never got scared. Not because I didn’t have moments when I wanted to quit.
I’m here because of God’s grace, the people who refused to give up on me, and a determination to keep fighting even when I couldn’t see a reason to.
Four years later, I still have battles that nobody sees. Some days are harder than others. Healing doesn’t mean everything magically goes back to normal.
And although I fought my way back into uniform, the effects of that injury eventually led to my medical retirement from law enforcement. That was another battle I never imagined having to face. I spent so many years wearing that badge that stepping away from it felt like losing a piece of myself.
But I’ve come to understand that my purpose was never limited to a badge, a title, or a uniform.
The badge was part of my story. It was never the end of my purpose.
I refuse to let October 29, 2022, be the day that defeated me.
It was the day my life changed. It was NOT the day my life ended.
And if you’re reading this while fighting your own battle, whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional, I want you to understand something.
You don’t have to have everything figured out today.
You don’t have to be the toughest person in the room.
You just have to keep reaching, and when you can’t reach anymore, let somebody reach for you.
GOD ISN’T FINISHED WITH YOU YET.
FOUR YEARS LATER, I’M STILL STANDING.
This is the story of my Life Behind The Badge.
Love yall, see yall soon
