‘Got Your Six’ – Civilians Backing Officers Across the States

In light of the fatal August 28 shooting of Texas Deputy, Darren Goforth, there has been an influx of civilians across the country reaching out to help officers in times of need. Earlier this month, three officers from three different states met with the kindest gestures by civilians who chose to watch out and get the backs  (or the “6”) of those who patrol the streets day-in and day-out.

Officer Keedy and his littlest hero in Indianapolis, Indiana. {Image Credit: IMPD/Facebook}

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Facebook post from earlier this month is going viral after a little girl offered “backup” to an officer refueling his patrol car. IMPD Officer Dustin Keedy was refueling his patrol car on Emerson Avenue in southeast Indianapolis when a little girl and her mother stopped him.

According to Keedy in a Facebook post from IMPD, the little girl and her mother shared with the officer their heartfelt appreciation for law enforcement and how their efforts patrolling and taking care of citizens did not go unnoticed.

After conversing with the mother-daughter duo and getting a hug from the both of them, the little girl extended her snack to the officer and insisted to wait until Keedy finished refueling so that “no bad guys” would sneak up on him.

In the Facebook post that currently has more than fourteen-thousand likes and a little more than three-thousand shares, Keedy revealed it’s the families like the two he met that want officers around.

“It’s because of families like this I go to work every night! And no matter if you hate me or not, you call and need help, I’ll still give my life protecting you,” Keedy said.

In an interview with ABC News, IMPD spokesman, Sgt. Kendale Adams said the action of the little girl and her mother encompasses the spirit of community policing. “We want our citizens to be engaged and certainly that was an engagement process. It was a chance for him to share with the young girl and the young girl to share her compassion with the officer.”

With Keedy’s post getting so much attention, it instills hope in many with the belief such a gesture might seem like a growing movement among civilians across the nation reaching out to backup officers in these volatile times, while watching their “six” with a similar case occurring last week near Houston, Texas.

Harris County teenager, McKinley Zoellner stopped Deputy Constable, Tommi Jones Kelley after noticing her pumping gas alone in the rain. In a Facebook post now liked over a thousand times with a whopping two-hundred thousand shares, Kelley stated the teenager she had never met before wanted to make sure she was safe while filling up fuel in her car. Users of the popular network and Kelley were blown away by the gesture of kindness and his altruistic attitude, particularly in light of a fellow sheriff deputy’s murder.

Constable Kelley and McKinley Zoellner outside the gas station. {Image Credit: Tommi Jones Kelley/Facebook}

“Yes, I’m the one with a gun on my hip while he [Zoellner] stood there empty handed,” Kelley said. “But he for sure had my ‘6’ while my back was turned. With all the terror going on nationwide, this reassured me there are still some pretty awesome individuals out there!”

In another case from this month, Cpl. Richard Lewis of the Winchester Police Department in Maryland told WHAG that though he’s no stranger to assisting the public, but the opposite isn’t always true.

That is until the night of August 23, Cpl. Lewis was in foot pursuit of a suspect just before midnight. Winchester resident, Shaun Martin heard the case unfold on his police scanner and offered a helping hand when Lewis’s radio suddenly lost connection with dispatch.

“You can hear that something is wrong,” Martin said upon hearing the officer in distress. “If they’re in a foot chase or they need help…you can always tell in the tone of their voice. That night—that is what caught my attention: his tone.”

Because Martin was familiar with the area and only a few blocks from the scene, he bolted out the door and took it upon himself to ensure that the officer was alright.

“I just rolled up to him, showed him the scanner, and was like man, ‘I’m looking for you!’” Martin said. After calling 911 and giving dispatch Lewis’s location, backup arrived to assist the officer and arrested the suspect.

“It [is] unusual. Normally, the public doesn’t step up and help out a police officer,” Lewis said.

With Martin and Lewis sharing the story to highlight positive officer-civilian relationships, Martin’s wife, Kasi said there are good cops everywhere. “The negativity that is shown throughout the country, it gives the good officers a bad reputation.”

{Image Credit: Shutterstock}

With this month’s viral posts creating an influence with users, Officer Keedy’s wife, Lisa shared on the IMPD post how appreciative and thankful she was to the mother and daughter who looked out for her husband in the Indianapolis suburb.

“Love seeing the community reaching out to police officers in a positive way,” Lisa said. “At a time when there is much negativity against law enforcement, it is really appreciated to see people who still care about them.”

As Adams said, Officer Keedy wasn’t trying to do anything for the media—it just turned out that way. “This is a prime example of breaking down those silos that sometimes exist between law enforcement and the community.”