Getting a ticket is annoying at best but when you get pulled over by a cop without even a reason, the whole situation can turn into one which is panic-inducing and rather alarming. No one knows about this better than William Jazwinski.
DailySportx
The young man was driving down the empty streets of a New York road when he saw the distinct blue and red flashing lights in his rearview mirror. Alone and scared, William had no idea that the cop had some strange plans for him.
A Good Driver
William was on his way to the trip and while most of us dreaded long treks, the young man thoroughly enjoyed them. He loved driving and prided himself on his excellent driving skills.
DailySportx
And the proof of his skills was in the fact that he had never gotten a ticket or been pulled over since he had started driving at 16. So, when the cop turned his sirens right behind him William was already alert and confused.
Anxious
He was sure he hadn’t broken any rules but with the flashing lights behind him and the loud siren, he was feeling more and more uncertain. Had William broken some rule without even knowing?
DailySportx
He pulled his car over and waited for the officer to come to him. He got his license and registration number ready, already anxious as to what was to come next. He was alone on a dark road and heard all the horror stories before.
Police Brutality
If you don’t already know, the American Police System has been under intense scrutiny lately for being overly aggressive to citizens. With decades of police misconduct finally being revealed.
DailySportx
In many states, public chants mottos of “defunding the police” and as William experienced what he had thought an unreasonable police pull-over, all these things raced inside his head. Was he to become another name in experiencing police brutality?
The Cop
With the jarring red and blue lights, William saw the lone cop exit the vehicle but rather than head straight to the driver seat door he flashed his headlight at his car’s rear bumper. This sent alarm bells ringing for the young man.
DailySportx
Was there something inside his trunk? Had he left it open? Why was the officer shining a light at the back of his car? William was getting more and more wound up. He knew this was definitely not a typical encounter.
A Simple Question
Finally, at what felt like an eternity, the cop finally approached him. “Good morning officer,” the young man asked, “Was I speeding?” William tried to reassure himself that the cop would have only pulled him over for something like that and wasn’t up to anything abusive.
DailySportx
He was calm and courteous and tried to make sure that the officer didn’t know that William was panicking. But rather than answer his question, the cop just stared him up and down. Making William feel more and more disquieted.
Awkward
Finally, after a few awkward and intense moments the cop replied back “Good morning. No, not speeding”. This left William more confused than ever. He had no idea if he should question the officer on his motives.
DailySportx
What if he got offended? And he ended up in the worst situation than before? The cop had just admitted that William had done nothing wrong. So what had he been pulled over? What followed was an uneasy silence. During which, William wondered if he should just drive away.
His Real Reason
The young man was at his limits. He had to get to his destination and this officer was starting to get to him. He fumbled around to find his cell phone, ready to record the police officer and in some way gain control.
DailySportx
But as he was doing so, the officer finally revealed his real reason for pulling him over ” I just wanted to stop you and say thank you for your service.” William immediately stopped what he was doing, more confused than ever.
A Sticker
This is when he put two and two together and realized why the officer was shining a light at his bumper. In the U.S.A, many veterans and sometimes even their families have bumper stickers that let everyone know about their service to the country.
DailySportx
And William Jazwinski had completely forgotten about his. “Oooh the bumper sticker, nice. You’re welcome sir,” the young man replied. The cop replied, “My pleasure.” It seemed that William was getting worried about nothing and this was nothing but a small kind gesture by the officer and nothing else.
Above And Beyond
While the common thing to do was to honk or wave at veterans as a way of thanking them, this officer had gone above and beyond to personally meet William face to face to give him his gratitude.
DailySportx
But now that he had done it. William was grateful and expected the conversation to come to a close. He was so glad that his worst fears were all wrong but before he could really enjoy the relief, the officer continued to stare at him.
More Questions
It seemed like he had more to say to Willaim. Despite the young veteran indicating that he had to make his way through his trip, the officer ignored him and started asking him questions about his service.
DailySportx
“Where did you serve?” the officer inquired. At first, it felt a bit like an interrogation. William wondered if the man didn’t believe him that he had actually served in the military. He did look quite young.
Small Talk
William responded to the cop’s question and told him that he had worked as a heavy wheeled vehicle operator and that he had recently returned from a Middle Eastern country. This seemed to have piqued the officer’s interest further.
DailySportx
After some more back and forth questions, William realized that the officer didn’t actually mean any harm and his brusk way of talking was nothing to worry about. This officer actually only wanted to make some small talk.
On A Mission
“I went to Iraq,” William said. “Did a 15 monther out of Fort Benning.” Again William tried to steer the conversation to a close. While he was a friendly guy who loved to chat, something about the officer did seem off.
DailySportx
And now that he knew that he hadn’t done anything to break the law, he wanted the conversation over with and to move on with his trip but the officer just wouldn’t take a hint. It seemed like he was on a mission.
Officer’s Story
After answering many questions about his service and experience in Iraq, finally, William understood why the officer had stopped him and forced him into a conversation. “Well alright. My son went to Iraq.”
DailySportx
All the pieces were fitting together. Maybe the officer was only trying to learn more about William’s time to better understand his son. And now that he knew more about the officer, he felt more comfortable answering his questions.
Personal Struggles
You see, the reason William was so startled and scared, to begin with, was because he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder because of all the horrible things he had seen during his time in Iraq.
DailySportx
He had actually just completed a PTSD treatment program and was only learning how to navigate discussing his wartime experiences and how to deal with strangers treating him differently now that he was at home.
A Heavy Weight
The veteran could also sense that the conversation had taken another turn. The officer, who was an elderly man, looked rather sad and distraught. While he was smiling, his eyes felt sad and weighted to William.
DailySportx
And when the officer said the next few words, William understood everything. “He didn’t make it home,”. The veteran was heartbroken for this grieving father. William gave him his condolences but knew that it wouldn’t be enough.
Guilt
He also felt incredibly guilty that he had been scared and even suspicious of this police officer who was only a simple father who had lost his child in the line of duty. The officer only wanted to know more about William to get to know his late son better.
DailySportx
William changed his entire tone and knew that his trip could wait. He now wanted to go above and beyond to give this officer some comfort, just as he had done to thank him for his service.
Dashboard
The two of them made conversation and William gladly answered all of the officer’s questions but then the officer noticed something unexpected sitting on the young man’s dashboard.
DailySportx
Rather than some crumbled chips wrappers like most people his age, William’s tidy dashboard had the U.S flag sitting on it. It was folded neatly in a certain way, 13 times to make a triangle.
Sad Connection
This special way of folding the flag was done to pay respect to departed troops who fought for the country. And with the police officer has lost his own son, the sight of the flag made his eyes well up.
DailySportx
“I see you have a flag in the truck,” the cop said. “The one we got for him! Well, it’s at the house.” Willaim could see that the officer was clearly touched by the folded flag and just as he was thinking about how to comfort the officer, he asked him for a favour.
Heartbreaking Truth
“Can I ask a question?” Without hesitation, the young man eagerly agreed. “Do you mind stepping out and receiving a hug?” the sad police officer asked. This broke William. He had friends who he had lost in Iraq and seeing this officer, only brought their loss to the forefront.
DailySportx
He couldn’t say no to this simple yet heartwarming request. And as they hugged, the officer in between tears said “You remind me of my son. I pulled you over, ( because I )Thought you were him. I still don’t believe it most days he’s gone.”
A Warm Embrace
He recalled, “With tears in both our eyes I got out and hugged that man.” and like that they stayed for a long time. These strangers who had never met ended up comforting each other most unexpectedly.
DailySportx
William shared this story on Facebook and just as he was moved by the officer so was the rest of the world. People poured in wanted to know more about this father and his late son and of course, thank William for helping to bring peace to a grieving father.