2 Days Before Death of Cop, He Met with Boy Who Dreamed of Growing Up To Be Just Like Him
We can all probably remember what we wanted to be when we grew up. A lot of us had big dreams and had people in our lives who encouraged us to pursue those dreams.
An officer made a lasting impact on one boy from Rossville, Tennessee — a boy who wants to be in the police force one day.
Officer Nicholas Galinger was at the Chattanooga Police Services Center when Kari Snyder and her family just so happened to be touring the building.
Snyder recalls that her family met “several officers that day,” but one in particular stood out because of the time he took with her 9-year-old son, Jason.
“We actually met him when he was walking down the hallway,” Snyder told WTVC. “And he was carrying some papers and he stopped what he was doing to speak with the kids.”
That man was Officer Galinger, who sadly was killed by a car while serving his city just two days after his encounter with the Snyders.
When Jason saw Galinger’s photo on television following his passing, he recognized the kind man who’d stopped and taken time out of his day to talk to the young hopeful.
“He told me good luck,” Jason shared with WTVC. The boy described Officer Galinger as “really nice” and says that’s one reason he wants to become an officer himself.
“My son now has a lot of questions and is heartbroken because of what happened to Officer Galinger,” Snyder added.
We are heartbroken as well for all who are affected by this tragedy.
Chattanooga Police posted footage of the funeral for their fellow officer on March 1, 2019.
@ChattanoogaPD Officer Nicholas Galinger’s body has arrived at the Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. pic.twitter.com/1vkf58TLSl
— Cincinnati Police Department (@CincyPD) March 1, 2019
Many have commented to share their heartfelt condolences. One many named George Randall shared another story of Officer Galinger’s kindness to his nephew.
“I’m heartbroken to hear of officer Galinger’s passing,” Randall wrote. “I met this fine officer just Friday night… He was so helpful and friendly as he worked the scene of my nephew’s accident.”
“I was particularly impressed with his willingness to share his own personal experiences with my nephew,” Randall went on. “I thought, ‘Here’s an officer who genuinely cares about helping people in their time of need.'”
What a truly fine man. According to CPD, Officer Galinger was just 38 years old and graduated from the police academy on January 24, 2019.
To donate to his family during their time of need, please visit Officer Galinger’s GoFundMe page.
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